Long Day
by myownmind
Summary: Sequel to "Let There Be Demons". AU. Nick keeps in touch with the brothers. Then one day he gets a phone call from a complete stranger. Poltergeist the Legacy/Supernatural C/O. Don't need to read the first story to follow this one.
1. Chapter 1

_Hi. This story is dedicated to those readers who faithfully read and reviewed my story "Let There Be Demons". This is the sequel you asked for. I hope it lives up to expectations. Please let me know. It's the best way to improve my writing!!_

_Susanne_

**CHAPTER ONE**

It had been a long day. Nick had spent the last two weeks trying to deal with a rampaging spirit. Unfortunately the spirit had taken a strong dislike toward him. He had bruises on top of bruises. His left wrist and ankle were stiff and swollen from a tumble he'd taken down a set of stairs.

After an extra long hot bath, Nick was just settling down in his bed at the Legacy house on Angel Island. That was one of the perks of working for the Legacy and one of the down falls. He lived where he worked. The commute time was great but work was always just outside that door. Dressed in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, Nick pulled the sheets down on his bed. The clean linen sheets never looked so good. A huge sigh started at his toes and went all the way through his body.

Then the phone rang. In his exhausted state, it took Nick a moment to realize it was his cell ringing, not the house phone. Another couple of seconds searching for the noisy thing in among his dirty clothes, Nick pulled it open and managed to get it against his right ear. "Hello?" he said his voice a little more gravelly than normal.

"Hello?" an unfamiliar voice said. It sounded like an older man. For a split second, Nick thought it might be his boss, Derek Rayne, but the Welch lilt was missing. "Is this Nick Boyle?"

"Barely," Nick replied. His bed suddenly seemed a long way away. He glanced at it with longing as he settled down into his comfortable chair by the window. "Who is this?"

"My name is Bobby Singer. I believe we have a couple of mutual friends," the man stated. "Sam and Dean Winchester."

The need for sleep vanished from Nick's body. The events of a hunt in the cold north, during a blizzard, flashed through his mind. The Winchester brothers had found him after he'd had an accident with a rental car. He'd been very lucky that they had because he would have frozen there or been eaten by a pack of demons. During their time together, Nick had become very attached to the brothers.

"What about them?" Nick asked. His voice had sounded a little shorter than he'd intended. The last time Nick had heard from the brothers they were working a gig down in New Mexico. That had been three weeks ago. Fear began to gnaw at his stomach.

"I think they're in trouble," Bobby informed him. Nick wasn't sure if the man was being deliberately obtuse or if he really didn't have any more information than what he was giving him.

"They were fine three weeks ago," Nick replied. "What is this all about?" The fear was turning into a sense of panic. Why hadn't he heard from them in three weeks? Sam had gotten pretty good about phoning once or twice a week, just to let him know they were okay. Occasionally he even let it slip where they were. Nick had the feeling it wasn't as much a slip as Sam tried to make it seem. Since the brothers' father died, Sam seemed to need to know that someone knew where they were. Just in case.

"They were fighting a Windingo up in Montana. Sam had called me to get some research on them. He said they'd call back within the day to get what I'd found. That was three days ago. I haven't heard anything since," Bobby said. Even though Nick didn't know the man, he could sense the concern emanating through the phone line. His sense of panic deepened.

"Maybe they just got busy," Nick suggested. He knew that wasn't the case. Sam and Dean were too careful. Too reliable. If Sam said he'd call back, he would have if he could.

As Nick thought, he glanced out the window. The world beyond was dark. Rain pelted against the glass and ran down in rivulets. Lightning flashed across the sky, followed shortly by a loud crash of thunder. The storm was getting worse. Chances were that the power was going to go out tonight. One of the joys of living on Angel Island, the power grid had a tendency to go down with bad weather. Just what he didn't need at the moment was for the power to go out. While he talked, Nick pulled out his laptop. He was going to start research immediately, while he could.

"No, I don't think so. The questions Sam was asking weren't consistent with the information I've found. I'm not so sure that whatever they're fighting is a Windingo. I'm not entirely sure what it is. I'd head up there myself but I had an accident a week ago. I have a cast on my leg and my arm. Driving isn't something I can do right now," Bobby admitted. He hated not being able to jump into one of his vehicles and get to the brothers. He'd thought about calling Caleb or one of the other hunters but Sam and Dean really seemed to trust this guy. Besides, he apparently had a helicopter.

"Where are you? I'll come get you on my way there," Nick asked. He was rapidly entering information onto his computer to make sure he didn't forget anything. While he was doing it, he sent an email to the front gate that he needed the helicopter gases up and ready to go in twenty minutes.

"I'm pretty much on the way. I'll be ready for you," Bobby said. Quickly he gave this stranger his location. He was taking a real leap of faith here. He just hoped the brothers were alive to appreciate it.

"All right, I'll be there in two hours," Nick said as he hung up the phone. Distantly he wished Derek was here to help but the Precept had been called to Italy for a conference. Nick briefly considered getting Rachel or Alex involved. In the short time they'd been with the brothers, the two women had developed a bond as well. He wasn't so sure Dean would appreciate the older women's attention, having lost his mother at the age of four, but they were also busy with their own investigations.

Anxiously, Nick pulled on clothes and threw some into a duffle bag. He had no idea how long he was going to be and so threw in a couple extra shirts, etc. just in case. Then he moved into the control room. Into the duffle went a few other things, primarily weapons. Whatever he was going to be forced to face, he wanted to do it from a position of power.

OOOOO

Half an hour later, Nick was in the helicopter shooting over the ocean waves. He knew he was going a little faster than necessary but the need to find this Bobby Singer and start the search was overwhelming. At the last minute, Nick had remembered to phone Derek's cell and leave a voice message, letting his Precept know where he was going and why. The last thing he needed was to go missing without anyone knowing where to start the search.

The storm wreaked havoc with the helicopter's stability. His sore ankle and wrist were unappreciative of the extra strength needed to keep above the ground. Nick was all ready starting to feel the surge of adrenaline fade. This day just got a lot longer.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you very much for the reviews! I'm so happy that readers were waiting for me to get my muse back for this story. I still have plans for my other stories so don't worry, this one won't distract me too much. Well, maybe. Since I forgot the disclaimer on the first chapter, here we go._

_**DISCLAIMER**__: I do not own any of the characters from Poltergeist: the Legacy or Supernatural. They belong to their creators, the stations that produced them and the actors who played the parts. I simply feel the need to borrow them on occasion. I promise not to hurt them too badly or to leave any permanent marks. Well, maybe. ;) (Evil chuckle reverberates through the room)_

_I hope you enjoy the new chapter!!_

_Susanne_

**CHAPTER TWO**

Less than two hours later Nick set the helicopter down across the road from the house Bobby Singer had told him about. Ignoring his stiff limbs, he assessed the dwelling he was coming up on. Behind and beside it he could see a well stocked junk yard. Evidently this was where the brothers got their parts for their Impala. He'd wondered how they managed to keep it running so well.

The house itself was older, wooden and a little thread bare at first glance. Clearly the owner didn't bother to spend a lot of time on landscaping. The trees around it were overgrown and the grass was wild as well. Walking up the wooden steps, Nick noticed that they didn't creak or otherwise give indications of neglect. Things weren't as they first appeared.

Before he had a chance to knock on the front door it swung open to reveal an older man in jeans, plaid shirt covering a white t-shirt and a dusty baseball hat perched on his head. The man had clear dark blue eyes and a cleanly cut full beard. On his right lower arm was a nice white cast. On his lower right leg was a Velcro splint. It was the eyes however that got Nick's attention. He seemed to have the ability to see right through him.

"Nick Boyle?" the man asked holding out his left hand for Nick to shake. Grasping it, Nick shook it, vaguely surprised by the man's strength.

"Yeah, you must be Bobby. How come Dean and Sam never mentioned you to me?" Nick asked. It had occurred to him that the brothers kept things from him. He'd assumed though that they'd tell him about a hunter that they seemed to be close to.

"There are a lot of things Dean and Sam prefer to keep to themselves," Bobby responded. He'd all ready assessed the man as he'd crossed to his house. No wonder the brothers had been so taken with him. While he was short, probably five feet, eight inches tall, he had a presence and strength about him that couldn't be ignored.

"Do you know where to start looking?" Nick asked as he allowed Bobby to usher him into his house. The inside hadn't seen a woman's attention in years that much was obvious. But what was also obvious was that under the clutter of books, Bobby took the time to clean it. He may not have had a military background but Bobby Singer certainly had the discipline.

"Sam was pretty vague about where they were. He usually tells me things like northern Montana. I've been watching the news and the internet to try to pin down their location a little better but so far no luck," Bobby admitted. He directed the smaller man toward the living room. For a split second Bobby could have sworn he saw Sam stretched out on the couch and Dean on the floor like usual. Damn it, he muttered to himself. He was getting soft in the head. But fear for his boys still gnawed at his gut. Something just wasn't right.

"Do you have a computer? I left the Legacy in such a hurry I forgot to check something first," Nick admitted. The act had been totally unlike his usual self. Nick prided himself on his ability to keep a cool head and to remember the details. Worry for these two boys really had him turned a little sideways. "I gave them a satellite phone that I can trace if I need to."

"Right over here," Bobby said as he indicated his computer. Nodding his thanks, Nick set to work immediately. The sooner they located that phone the sooner they'd know where to start.

OOOOO

The first thing Dean became aware of as he regained consciousness was that Sam was trembling. The second thing he noticed was that Sam was entirely too close to him. Groaning mildly, Dean tried to shimmy backwards only to find that he had nowhere to go. He felt a little fuzzy as if he'd been drugged. Forcing his eyes open, Dean saw nothing but darkness.

It was then that Dean noticed the smell of old wood. Somewhere above his head he could hear what sounded like a small motor whirling. Then he felt a subtle puff of recycled air against his cheek. Well, at least they weren't going to suffocate.

Sam still seemed to be unconscious. Wherever they were it was cold. Sam's trembling was getting worse. Slipping his arms around his little brother's torso, Dean tried to give him a little of his body heat. Ever since Nick and the Legacy had removed the demon blood from Sam he'd caught every bug he'd come up against. So far he'd suffered through chicken pox, measles and countless colds and flus. The last thing they needed in their present situation was for Sam to get sick.

Leaving his top arm over his brother, Dean used the one underneath Sam's lanky frame to examine their surroundings. Fear spiked through him as he realized they were in an oversized crate. It was too basic to be a coffin but had very similar proportions. The fact that whoever had grabbed them had included the ventilation indicated that they didn't intend for them to die in here. That was one sign that gave him hope. Dean pulled his little brother a little closer. Then he used his upper arm to bang on the top. Maybe he could get it loose.

The first solid hit dispelled that belief. His knuckles smarting, Dean slid them into his mouth for a moment until the pain passed. He could feel splinters from the rough hewn wood imbedded deep in his flesh. Well, they weren't likely to get out of there without some help.

"Dean?" Sam said. His face was nestled in the crook of Dean's neck. He hadn't done it intentionally but as soon as Dean's warmth had penetrated Sam's subconscious mind, he'd moved closer. Dean could feel Sam's eye lashes fluttering against his skin but his kid brother gave no indication that he was going to move away.

"Yeah. I'm right here," Dean said. He snaked both arms around Sam again. Absently he rubbed his taller brother's back trying to increase his body temperature that much more.

"What the hell happened?" Sam asked. His voice was muffled against his shoulder. Sam's shaking was decreasing slightly. For that Dean was grateful.

"Your guess is as good as mine at the moment. The last thing I remember was finding that huge cabin in the woods by the lake. There was no way to get there but by a plane with pontoons. Do you remember seeing a plane on the lake?" Dean asked. He really didn't know how they'd come to be here. He wished he had more to go on.

"Ummmm. No," Sam replied. The cold was seeping down into his bones making it hard to concentrate on much but wanting to get closer to his brother. There were times Sam actually missed the demon blood. When he'd had it he'd never really gotten sick and he was stronger physically than he was now.

Sam had felt like a burden to his brother before. Now he felt it even worse. There was nothing harder to take than being slumped over a toilet puking your guts out with your big brother sitting on the edge of tub so he could rub your back. Much like he was doing at the moment. Damn Sam hated being weak!

"Well, I guess we'll find out what's going on soon enough," Dean said. He could sense the frustration coming off his brother in waves. Unfortunately there wasn't anything he could do about it at the moment. "Get some sleep. I have the feeling we're going to need it."

OOOOO

"There, I've got them," Nick stated. Hope flowed through him. The GPS signal on the satellite phone was coming in strong. It was somewhere in a thick stand of forest but with the helicopter they should be able to find it quickly. He loaded the coordinates into his hand held GPS unit and then turned toward the older man. "It'll take little under an hour in the helicopter."

"It'll be harder to find them in the dark," Bobby suggested. All the hunters he knew preferred to keep both feet on the ground. Dealing with someone with a helicopter was a new experience.

"I know but I don't want to wait until morning. Even if we find their position doesn't mean I'll be able to land close to them. If I'm going to be hiking I want to have as much of a head start as I can get," Nick said. "Were they driving the Impala?"

Immediately Nick knew it had been a stupid question from the look on Bobby's face. "What else would Dean be driving?" he asked.

"Sorry, momentary slip," Nick said, a grin spreading across his own face. Apparently the brothers hadn't really changed much since he'd last seen them. "I'll get a friend in the local PD to put out a BOLO on Dean's car. It might help to know where they started."

"Sure," Bobby said looking at the man a little closer. The hunters he knew preferred to stay away from local PD involvement wherever possible. To have someone deliberately contacting them just felt kind of wrong.

"Don't worry, Hank will be discrete. We've worked with him before. He knows all too well what things go bump in the night," Nick tried to reassure the older man. He'd thought the lack of trust of authority figures had been just one of the brothers' hang ups. Apparently not.

Turning away from Bobby, Nick dialled the number he needed on his cell phone. The conversation was brief. He did have to pause at one point and ask Bobby the plate number on the Impala, just in case it had changed. He said good bye and snapped the cell closed.

"We're ready to head out. Are you coming?" Nick asked. He had automatically assumed that the older man was coming but he didn't like to base his decisions on assumptions.

"Of course I'm coming," Bobby barked. He hated the suggestion that he might not be up to finding his boys. Grabbing his coat and the duffle bag he'd had by the door, Bobby Singer followed Nick Boyle, Legacy member, security specialist and ex Navy SEAL toward his helicopter. This was going to be interesting Nick mused.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you very much for all the wonderful reviews!!! I love all of them! This is going to be an interesting ride. For once I have a pretty good idea where this is going. I hope you enjoy the ride, I know I am!_

_Susanne_

**CHAPTER THREE**

The box was getting hot. Dean almost wished he could pull away from his brother. Almost. Sammy had stopped shivering a short while ago. That simple fact gave him some hope that his baby brother wasn't getting sick after all. At the moment, his too tall brother seemed to be sleeping soundly.

Dean wasn't sure how much time had passed. It was very hard to tell is this dark confined area. Even with the small fan pushing air into the crate, Dean had to admit the two of them smelt pretty ripe. Even before winding up here, where ever here was, the brothers had been tromping through the woods for three days looking for evidence of Windingo.

With nothing better to do than blink in the darkness, Dean listened hard to what was around them. It may help him find out where they were. Beyond the drone of the fan, Dean could just make out a higher pitch motor running. It took him a few moments to realize what it was. They were in a plane.

Under his breath, Dean muttered a long line of swear words, every he'd ever heard. He hated flying!! Suddenly claustrophobia came crashing down on him. It was one thing to be flying. It was quite another to be flying trapped in a coffin with his brother.

As panic threatened to overwhelm Dean's senses, he did the only thing he could think of. Taking a deep breath, he smashed his head against the nearest wall and fell into oblivion.

OOOOO

Nick and Bobby had been searching a large stretch of woods for far too long. Nick kept checking his hand held GPS, hoping against hope that it would suddenly tell him what he wanted to see. So far the coordinates he'd gotten on the satellite phone weren't telling them anything.

"How much longer?" Bobby asked. He really hated wearing the head phones but it was the only way to talk over the sound of the helicopter's motors. The old hunter could tell that the search wasn't going well. He'd half expected to see Dean and Sam waving frantically from a clearing somewhere. So far the only thing he'd seen was trees and more trees.

"I don't know," Nick admitted. Angrily he looked at the GPS again. It was saying that the phone should be just below them. The exact spot was obscured by thick trees. The closest clearing he'd seen so far was a good ten miles away. He didn't want to take the time to hike that far but he was realizing quickly that he didn't have much of a choice. Cursing under his breath, Nick turned the nose of the helicopter in the direction of the clearing. There was no time like the present to start.

As they flew over the tree tops as the sun crept over the horizon. Nick had to quickly don sunglasses to keep from being completely dazzled. Luckily he hadn't gone very far, perhaps three miles before the sun revealed a smaller clearing. With the helicopter it was going to be a tight fit but he was going to try.

"Hold on," Nick warned the older hunter as he brought the machine about in a tight turn and made a rapid descent.

"What the hell?" Bobby said as he grappled for hand holds. He was grateful for the hardness keeping him on his seat. Otherwise the young Legacy member was going to have to scrape him off the roof when he landed.

"Sorry about that," Nick said, a smile playing across his face as he brought the big vehicle to a gentle stop in the center of the clearing. As the big blades continued to rotate, they had a whole yard on every side for clearance.

Once he had the helicopter settled and turned off, Nick turned to the older man in the co-pilot seat. "Are you staying here or are you going to try to keep up?"

"You're leg's not working any better than mine is, kid. You're not leaving me here. You'll have to try to keep up," Bobby grumbled. He pulled the head phones off, dumped them on the seat he'd just vacated and headed out the door. He may be a little long in the tooth compared to young Nick but he'd be damned if he was going to be left behind while his boys were in trouble.

"Whatever you say," Nick agreed. He had to duck his head to hide the laugh that came out. He knew that the old guy was tough. He hadn't doubted for a moment that he was planning on joining him. He just wished he wasn't right about his ankle. Ignoring it, Nick climbed out of the pilot side door and came around. He slid a back pack over his right shoulder and handed another one to Bobby. Without a word, the two men headed out.

OOOOO

Dean wasn't sure how long he was out. It had to have been for a while though. As he slowly came back to himself, Dean realized that Sammy was awake. He could tell by the subtle humming his kid brother was doing under his breath. He could also tell by the terrible thirst that was burning up his throat.

Their crate was jolted badly. Then the top was quickly pried off. Going from the black recesses of the crate to the brilliant sunlight beyond the wooden lid left Dean and Sam momentarily blinded.

Fresh air swirled around them. Before Dean had a chance to recover his eye sight, a strong hand caught hold of his right upper arm and pulled him up into a standing position. From the sounds beside him, Sam was being forced to stand up too.

"Who are you?" Dean demanded as he stalled for time. His eyes were not cooperating. Dean figured it was a side effect of dehydration.

A male voice said something to him in a language he didn't recognize. Something cool and wet was shoved into his hand. Blinking furiously to clear his eyes, Dean finally found that it was a plastic water bottle. Eager to quench his thirst, Dean ripped the top off it and took two large mouthfuls. Before he drained it, however, he turned to his brother. Dean wanted to make sure Sammy had something to drink as well. He was relieved to see his kid brother also downing a bottle of water.

For a brief moment Dean wondered if the water had been drugged. Then he didn't care as he finished the contents of his own bottle. Better to be drugged and alive than dead from dehydration.

Now that he'd had something to drink, Dean found that his eyes were working better. Beyond the overwhelming sunlight he found a tall, muscular, dark haired man gazing down at him. Man, he'd thought Sammy was tall! This man stood nearly four inches taller than Sam.

"What do you want us for?" Dean demanded. Beside him, Sam had finished his own water and was looking around to assess their chances of escape. Dean was grateful to see Sam doing what their father had trained them to do. It too was a good indication that the youngest Winchester wasn't getting sick after all.

The giant in front of him grinned. The man's teeth took Dean aback for a moment. There seemed to be too many of them and the ones he saw were more sharp than rounded. A closer look revealed that the man had the most penetrating ice blue eyes Dean had ever seen. Still grinning, the man spouted a long line of foreign words before indicating the crate the brothers had just been pulled out of.

Instinctively Dean knew that the man had no intention of rescuing them. Looking around the tarmac of the airport they were situated in, Dean stopped dead. Everything around was foreign. The signs were in a different language too. Seeing the letters though gave Dean a hint to what the language was. German. What the hell?

A hand fell on Dean's arm and steered him toward the universal plastic boxes along the paved landing surface. Dean knew a portable toilet when he saw one. Suddenly he realized he really needed to use the damned thing. Quietly he allowed himself and Sam to be led over to the things. It was better than doing it behind a bush.

As they crossed the distance, Dean took a closer look at their surroundings. Sam was doing the same thing. The landing strip was small, clearly for private users. The plane the crate was sitting beside was some kind of personal jet. It was bigger than Dean had expected but smaller than its commercial counterparts. The air port was surrounded on all sides by thick forest. The only break in it was a dirt access road. There was a single building a few hundred feet beside the portable toilets. From what Dean and Sam could see the only way in or out of the place was the jet. Unless they planned on walking.

Having finished in the toilet, Dean came barrelling out of it, hoping to catch their guard unaware. It was like running into a brick wall. Slightly dazed, Dean tried a few quick jabs into the man's ribs. No effect at all. If anything, Dean felt his knuckles stinging from the impact. This guy was seriously buff.

Sam came out and flew into action. He could hear his brother grunting through the plastic wall. He tried to tackle the man while Dean continued to pummel him. Almost bored, the man batted Dean away sending the smaller man flying. Dean landed with a crash in the dirt several feet away.

Desperate, Sam redoubled his efforts to knock the man onto his ass. Before the Legacy had removed his demon blood, Sam would have had a better chance. His desperation fuelling him, Sam launched himself at the man.

Absently, the man racked his fingers across Sam's chest on his way by. Pain exploded, taking Sam's breath away. Landing in a heap on the ground, Sam tried to get air back into his lungs. While he struggled, their guard walked over, caught hold of his nearest arm and proceeded to drag Sam and Dean back to the crate.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hello!! Thank you very much for taking the time to review! You make my day every time. This chapter is a little shorter but it seemed like the right spot to stop. I hope to have the next chapter up tomorrow or the next day. Enjoy!!_

_Susanne_

**CHAPTER FOUR**

It had been a very long hike. By the time the two men reached the location where the satellite phone was reported to be they were both sweaty and tired. As hard as Nick tried to pretend that his ankle wasn't bothering him, he could feel the skin around it swelling with each mile he walked. Soon he was going to have a hell of a time taking his boot off.

"This is it," Nick breathed. He stopped on the exact spot, bent over, placed his hands on his knees and tried to recover from the hike so far. In their anxiety, both men had pushed as hard as they could. Beside him, Nick could hear Bobby breathing like a locomotive too.

"I don't see anything," Bobby stated helpfully.

"That's because there is nothing to see," Nick growled. He'd honestly hoped to find the brothers exactly where the cell phone had said they were.

"That's what I thought," Bobby grumbled back. He was just as disappointed to not find his boys. What crap have they gotten themselves into this time?

"Come on, there's got to be some sign of them," Nick said. He hadn't quite recovered but was anxious to continue the search. Ignoring his ankle, the ex SEAL set out a mental search grid and set out.

OOOOO

"Damn," Dean swore as he came around. He was instantly aware that he and Sam were back in the wooden crate. "Damn it."

"Are you okay?" Sam asked in a quiet voice. In the dark, Dean could hear a tremor in his brother's voice. It scared the hell out of him.

"I'm fine. What's going on?" Dean asked. He tried to move around enough to check his brother. Unfortunately, the crate wasn't big enough. Frustrated, Dean slipped his right hand up and felt his brother's face and checked his pulse.

"We've been loaded back into the plane. I think we've been travelling for about an hour and a half. We could be anywhere," Sam responded. Under Dean's fingertips, he could feel his brother's heart beat. It was fast, too fast. Dean could also feel a thin sheen of sweat on his brother's skin. Something wasn't right.

"What happened after I went out?" Dean pushed. Dean Winchester was used to being thrown around. He was used to landing on his head. He'd never been knocked out so successfully on the first try. While he talked, Dean did his best to inspect his brother. Sam trembled under his brother's touch.

"I was clawed across the chest and then he threw us both back in here," Sam admitted. He hissed in pain when Dean found the scratch marks. All ready the youngest Winchester could feel heat rolling off the wounds in waves.

"What clawed you?" Dean asked. His fingers came back slick with what he assumed was blood but he couldn't be sure in the dark recesses of the crate.

"The giant guy," Sam stated. Now he was feeling cold. Sam was getting really sick of being sick. While he groused to himself, he felt a warm tide run through his veins. Damn.

"You know all the research, Sam. What the hell are we up against?" Dean was trying to keep his brother engaged. He knew something really wrong was going on but he couldn't do anything about it.

"Well, he isn't a Windingo," Sam stated.

"No shit, Sherlock," Dean grumbled. He really hated feeling useless.

"The most likely option is a werewolf but he was unlike any werewolf I've ever read about," Sam said. He was getting tired, really tired. The dark made it really hard to stay awake.

"So we would need silver bullets. Great. Apparently I left all of mine at home," Dean stated scornfully. This was getting too far out of control. He felt Sam burrow a little deeper against him. His kid brother must be feeling pretty badly. What have they done to him?

OOOOO

It felt like an eternity but was in fact only about half an hour before Nick found a track. He and Bobby spent the next three hours following that track and several others. The ex SEAL wasn't sure if whoever they were following was careless or just incompetent. Either way, the further they went, the easier the signs were to follow.

After much bushwhacking, the two men found themselves standing on the edge of a secluded lake. On the other side was a large, rather ornate cabin sat perched on the shoreline. The first thought that went through Nick's head was to wonder how the builders got the huge timbers to this location to build the damned thing. As hard as he looked, Nick couldn't see any areas of the forest around the lake had been harvested to create such logs.

"What the hell?" Bobby breathed. He'd stopped in his tracks. Being a hunter he was still hidden behind a screen of vegetation but he had a clear view of the cabin. It looked like it belonged in Europe with its high ceilings, stained glass windows on the top floor and the turret on each corner.

"The owners must use that sea plane to get in and out. I don't see a road access anywhere," Nick stated. Along a large dock was a small plane on pontoons so it could land on water. The owners were clearly well to do. Nothing was skimped on the building or the accessories for the cabin.

"Do you think Sam and Dean are in there?" Bobby asked. After a careful assessment of the building from the outside, the older hunter wasn't sure there was anywhere inside to keep captives.

"I'm not sure but we're about to find out," Nick responded. Being careful to not be seen by anyone inside the cabin, the ex SEAL began to make his way around the lake. If the brothers were there, he was going to find them.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

The longer the plane travelled, the worse Sam felt. He alternated between freezing cold and burning hot. Through it all he felt like his chest was on fire and it was spreading flames through his veins. Dean kept talking to him until the eldest Winchester had virtually lost his voice but Sam kept drifting in and out of consciousness. Sam wasn't sure if losing the battle to stay awake was a blessing, because he got away from feeling so crappy, or a curse. When he was unconscious, Sam had some of the wildest, most vivid dreams he could ever remember experiencing. Even the visions he'd suffered through before were nothing compared to these.

"Hey, Sammy," Dean croaked in an attempt to bring his brother around. He knew Sam was out again. His kid brother had his hands wrapped in Dean's shirt like he was holding on for dear life while his feverish head rested on Dean's shoulder. He could feel Sam's long body trembling and he was breathing quickly and very shallow. Where Dean's chest was up against his kid brother's, Dean could feel the fabric getting wet and sticky. He almost hoped it was blood and not the alternative. Infection would really screw things up.

"Damn it, Sammy," Dean growled under his breath. "What the hell is going on?" As if in answer, the box shuttered and then thumped hard onto a solid surface. They were being moved again.

OOOOO

It took nearly two hours. From a distance it was hard to assimilate how big the cabin really was. The first thing Nick made sure of was that no one was around. The big wooden doors were securely locked with an electronic security system. Very strange.

It wasn't until Nick climbed onto the roof that he found where the electricity was coming from. The cabin was set up with huge solar panels. It was completely off the grid. There were no antennas, indicating a two way radio or phone system. Except for the size of the place and the solar panels, Nick would have thought he'd stepped back in time.

The plane on the lake concerned him. That indicated to him that there was someone around. That didn't track. But after spending so much time searching the outside of the cabin, Nick was convinced that there were no cells anywhere that the brothers could be kept in. All aspects of the interior could be seen from some vantage point on the outside.

Now scared to death, Nick trekked back to where he'd left Bobby in the underbrush. Despite the big man's protestations, Nick knew he hadn't been able to keep up. Peering up at Nick from under his grubby baseball cap, Bobby didn't need to ask. He could see from the defeat in the younger man's eyes that they weren't there.

"Were there any signs at all?" Bobby asked as he climbed to his feet. The cover had been too low for him to stand behind.

"I found the satellite phone on a table in the main room. They were here but where they are now is anyone's guess," Nick responded. He picked up his backpack from Bobby's feet and headed out. They needed to get back to the helicopter ASAP.

"How do you know it was theirs?" Bobby asked as he scrambled to keep up. Apparently Nick's leg wasn't bothering him much anymore.

"I dialled their number and the phone on the table vibrated," Nick said. He wasn't sure how he'd gotten the first reading on the phone but it didn't matter much now. While he'd been on top of the cabin, he'd taken a GPS coordinate on his hand held machine. He was going to find out who this land belonged to and follow the trail from there.

"Oh," Bobby muttered. His concern for his adopted sons deepened. The Winchesters were too good to be taken like this. They had to have come up against something they'd never faced before, something much more powerful than anything they'd run into before.

OOOOO

Dean tensed, waiting for the lid to open on the box. They had to have reached their destination by now, right?

The world around him kept shifting. It took several heart beats for him to come to the conclusion that they were on a boat. Great, now he was going to get seasick. Dean liked having his feet firmly on the ground.

"Dean?" Sam muttered his voice thick. The heat coming off his little brother was uncomfortable. If there had been anywhere to Dean to go, he would have backed away. He'd found two bottles of water in the crate with them. He'd all ready nearly drained the first one into his brother. The last thing Sammy needed was to become dehydrated on top of whatever was ravaging his system.

"Yeah," Dean said. He felt Sam shift against him. Sam's fingers released his shirt but his head stayed positioned on Dean's shoulder. Dean's neck was getting wet again. Sam sucked in a breath between clenched teeth as his body stiffened. "What's wrong?"

"It hurts," Sam managed. There wasn't enough room in the crate, his back was arched against the wood but there wasn't anything he could do about it. The pain was slicing through his chest. It hurt so much to breath.

"What hurts?" Dean was silently cursing the darkness and the cramped quarters. Something was going on with Sammy and there was nothing he could do about it!! Frustration and rage flowed through his body. Careful not to injure Sam, Dean pounded on the walls anywhere he could reach them.

"My chest. Hard to breath," Sam said. Spots were swirling before his eyes. Sam knew he wasn't breathing well enough to stay conscious but it was beyond his control at the moment. Against his will, Sam's muscles tightened further, pulling his head off Dean's shoulder and way from his brother.

"Sam?" Dean said. Panic set in when all he could hear was his brother's ragged, uneven breathing. "Sammy??"

OOOOO

"You're sure?" Nick said into his satellite phone. He and Bobby were situated at Bobby's salvage yard. It seemed like the most logical place to go since the sheriff had had Dean's car towed there. Nick's contact had found it in a wooded area about thirty miles from the cabin. Under Nick's instructions, the sheriff had had it towed without examining it. The ex SEAL didn't want the law enforcement agency finding the boys' stash of weapons in the trunk.

The two men had spent more than an hour pouring over the vehicle only to find that there were no clues magically contained inside. The only items were Sam's computer and most of their clothes. Bobby was convinced that some camping gear was missing and a few weapons but clearly the brothers hadn't intended to be gone this long.

Desperate, Nick had phoned the Luna Foundation, hoping against hope that someone had come back. He was greatly relieved to find Alex on the other end of the line. The next hour had been spent doing research on the owners of the cabin. Everything looked good on paper but there was something about it that set Nick's teeth on edge.

"Sure of what?" Bobby demanded. He was getting very tired of only hearing one side of the conversation. At first he'd busied himself making supper but now he was losing his patience.

"Can you send that information to my phone and could you book two tickets for me? Mr. Singer and I will be heading out soon. I want to jump on this as soon as possible," Nick was saying into the mouth piece.

Bobby was relieved to know that Nick wasn't planning on leaving him behind. But, he would have really liked to know exactly where they were going and why.

Finally, Nick broke the connection and set the phone down on Bobby's coffee table.

"Now will you tell me what the hell's going on?" Bobby demanded. He'd set supper down on two plates and brought them both a beer. He wasn't really interested in the food but the older hunter knew he had to keep his strength up.

"That cabin we found in the woods is owned by a German company. It's their vacation spot for executives that need to get away from it all. The three top executives are listed on the board of directors for several other companies. They appeared to be billionaires with too much time on their hands. The head office is in Frankfurt, Germany. I want to go there and meet with these men, see if they know anything about what happened in those woods.

"Meanwhile, my contact in the sheriff's department is going to keep digging from this side of the pond. Do you have a passport?" Nick asked.

"Yes, I do. But, what makes you think that these men will meet with us? What makes you think they know anything about Sam and Dean's disappearance?" Bobby pushed. The last thing he wanted to do was to fly over to Europe. There were far too many creatures he'd never dealt with there. But if the brothers were there, there was no way Nick was leaving him behind.

"The Luna Foundation has a great deal of pull in the business world. It's mostly because we're well known for our charitable donations. As far as whether they are involved, I really don't know. But I do know that two of the executives were at the cabin for the last month. They just flew back to Germany yesterday on their private jet. Thanks to customs I know they had a large crate with them. What could they possibly find in the Montana forest that would need to be crated to be sent home?" Nick said. He knew the line of thought was a little wobbly but his gut was telling him he was right. Where the brothers were concerned, he wasn't willing to take the chance that he was right.

"Okay. When are we leaving?" Bobby asked. He'd wolfed down his food while Nick had talked. He wanted to be ready in case the younger man said the words he was hoping for.

"How quickly can you pack?" Nick asked. He turned his attention to the food. Like Bobby, he knew he was going to need the energy. This was far from over yet.

**AN: I'm hoping desperately that this makes sense. It did when I came up with it!!! **

**Susanne**


	6. Chapter 6

_Hello!! Thank you very much for sticking with me. Thank you also very much for you reviews!! I love hearing from people reading my stories to find out if what I write does anything for them._

_I wanted to warn you that I have absolutely no idea what Frankfurt actually looks like. I've never been there. It just seemed like a good place to send them. If there are geographical or other errors please excuse them. This all makes perfect sense in my own mind ;)._

_I hope you enjoy the chapter!_

**CHAPTER SIX**

The flight was going to be long and arduous. Not for the first time Nick wished the Legacy would spring for a private jet. Flying commercial was horrible. Even in first class. He glanced over at Bobby. The older man had his cast leg propped up and his cast arm resting across his stomach. It appeared the man was sound asleep but Nick kind of doubted it. He was an old hunter. Nick doubted he slept hard anywhere.

Somehow it didn't surprise Nick that Bobby's passport had been under the name George Harris. After his experience with the Winchester brothers he knew that hunters were a paranoid lot. They shunned Government involvement like the plague. Grinning, Nick rested his head against the window and tried to sleep. Once they reached Germany neither man was going to get much rest.

OOOOO

"Sammy?" Dean pleaded. He hadn't heard a word or a sound from his brother in the last hour. Sammy was slumped against him putting off heat like a furnace. Not sure how to help his kid brother, Dean pulled Sam further against him. It was uncomfortable to be near something so hot in the confines of the crate but it was the best he could currently do. Opening the bottle of water, Dean poured a bit of it into his brother's mouth. Holding his kid brother, Dean settled in to wait.

The crate stopped swaying. Then it felt like someone had dumped it on the ground as Sam and Dean were thrown against the top. Before Dean had a chance to recover the lid was pried off and brilliant sunlight blinded him. Fresh air swarmed into the crate. Anxious, Dean blinked quickly trying to get his eyes to adjust. Instinctively, his grip on his brother tightened. Rough hands caught hold of his right arm and almost casually pulled him away from Sam. Dean felt himself being lifted by his arm. He managed to ignore the pain that swept through his arm. Then he was set on his feet.

"Who the hell are you and what the hell do you want with me and my brother??" Dean demanded as he blinked at the dark shapes in front of him. Once his eyes adjusted, Dean looked down at Sam only to find a rather large fellow picking him up.

"Get away from him!" Without thinking, Dean launched himself at the man holding his brother. It had pissed him off to think that someone else was touching him while Sammy was so vulnerable. With a grin, the man idly put his arm out and Dean went flying backward into a very deep, cold lake.

Recovering from the initial shock, Dean forced his way to the surface of the water and swam to the dock where the boat they'd been on was moored and where their crate was sitting. Four very large guys stood there watching him with rather bored expressions on their faces.

"You can walk or we can carry you. Those are your options," a dark haired man said with a heavy accent. He was standing beside the one holding Sam. Sam was still thoroughly unconscious. Dean knew that even if he did break the man's hold on his brother, there was no chance of them escaping any further than a few feet. Cursing under his breath, Dean climbed out of the water and stood dripping and shaking with cold while he waited for them to indicate which direction he was supposed to go.

The dock wasn't very big but it led to a break in a tall, steep cliff. The access way had been chiselled out of the earth's bones. Walking between the two groups of men, Dean tried to see around their hulking bodies to get a better lay of the land. All he really saw were shoulders clad in expensive suits. Beyond the access, the ground turned abruptly from stone to thick, well manicured lawn.

Wondering where the hell they were, Dean caught a glimpse of a huge, ornate building several yards in front of them. The entire area appeared to be carved out of the ground leaving thick, straight walls on all sides that rose at least ten feet in the air. On the walls on every side were a thick layer of tall, mature evergreens. As near as Dean could tell the only way in or out was by the water they'd just arrived on.

Abruptly they left the lawn and were walking up a set of stone steps. The steps led to a large stone patio. Oversized Grecian urns were everywhere loaded with beautiful flowers. Dean couldn't get a really good look but he knew he didn't recognize any of the plants. Not a good sign.

"Where are you taking us? What do you want us for?" Dean pressed. The men were silent as they moved. Their very steps were silent which made Dean sound like an elephant. There was something very wrong here. Dean had trained as a hunter since he was four years old. He knew how to move quietly when he had to but these guys were even better than him, despite their expensive Italian shoes.

A soft chuckle floated back to Dean but otherwise he got no response. The man behind him gave him a hard push. Dean sprawled on the patio. In the brief seconds he was down there he got a better view of the building they were walking toward. It was a damned museum just like the Legacy house in San Francisco. Hands caught hold of Dean and pulled him back up to his feet.

They left the patio and were entering a large set of double doors made of solid oak. All Dean got was a sense of a large space filled with museum items. Then he was being directed toward a small door on the left hand side. As much as he wanted to fight, Dean allowed himself to be forced down a long set of winding steps. They were made of marble at first but after they went beyond the second landing the steps turned to limestone.

The man carrying Sam led the way down a dimly lit corridor. What Dean could see indicated that on either side were a series of doors. The doors looked like something out of a prison movie. Frustration and fear burned through Dean as he saw one of the cell doors being opened. The man carrying Sam threw him inside like a sack of garbage before turning to the eldest Winchester. Dean could tell the man was expecting trouble but all he wanted at the moment was to go check on his brother. Quickly, he slid inside the door before they could change their minds about putting him in the same cell as Sam. So long as they were together there was hope of escape.

As soon as the door slammed shut behind him, Dean went to Sam's side. His brother was a heap of arms and legs sprawled in a thick layer of straw. These guys had watched too many B movies Dean decided as he straightened his too tall brother out. Under his ministrations, Dean heard a low groan escape from Sam. Then his eyes fluttered open and came to rest on Dean's face.

"Where are we?" Sam asked. The mere fact that he could see his brother in the dim light told him they were no longer in the crate. He felt awful. His insides were on fire but he felt like he was in the Arctic somewhere. Absently, he pulled his ruined shirt away from the claw marks on his chest so he could get a better look at them.

"I think we're in a dungeon under a castle," Dean answered. He moved in closer. There was something about Sam's wound that didn't look right. Brushing his kid brother's hand away, Dean bent in and took a better look at the four angry red furrows across his brother's skin. The marks weren't deep but all ready dark veins were spidering away from them. It didn't quite look like blood poisoning but it didn't look good either. "Shit."

"That bad, huh?" Sam said. He'd seen the expression on Dean's face. He knew it was bad. He could feel that it was bad but it didn't feel the same as the demon blood. Right now it felt like his body wanted to turn itself inside out.

"It's not good but there isn't anything we can do about it now," Dean said, trying to minimize things for his kid brother. At least there was room in the cell, too bad the straw made Dean sneeze. Within minutes, Dean's eyes were watering and his nose had started running. "Great."

"Where the hell are we, Dean? This place feels all wrong," Sam said as he carefully moved to the corner furthest from the door and settled his long frame in a comfortable position on a pile of straw. Scenes from "Planet of the Apes" kept playing through his mind. Absently he wondered if he was going to wind up with Dr. Zira or Nova.

"We're in Europe. That's all I know so far," Dean said. Without a thought, he walked over to Sam and plopped down on the straw, positioning himself between his kid brother and the door. It was habit. Involuntary. The first thought Dean had upon waking up in the morning was about his brother's safety. The last thing he thought about was his brother's safety. If there was enough time between, Dean occasionally thought about himself. Apparently there hadn't been much extra time of late.

"Do you think Bobby knows we're missing yet?" Sam asked. He was really tired but he needed to hear his brother's voice. He needed to have some kind of connection with the world, otherwise he felt like he was going to float away.

"Definitely. By now even Nick might know we're in trouble," Dean said. "You did give Bobby Nick's cell phone number, right?"

"Why do you want Nick to know we're in trouble? I thought you didn't like the guy," Sam said. He knew his older brother didn't trust the Legacy and by extension Nick. He personally liked the guy. He stifled a yawn. Damn he was tired.

"If we're in Europe, there's no way Bobby's going to be able to get here, much less find us," Dean said. He didn't much trust the Legacy as an agency. Not after they tried to kill Sam for having demon blood. He moderately trusted Nick, as much as he would trust anyone who wasn't a hunter. Derek, well, there was a creature of another colour.

"Damn, Dean. How the hell are we going to get out of this one?" Sam wondered as his eyes slid shut.

OOOOO

Stretching out the kinks, Nick and Bobby walked down the hallway toward the airport terminal. The plan so far was to get the bags, check into a hotel and go from there. Silently, the two men passed through security and were headed for the baggage racks when Nick spotted a six foot, well built, blond man standing along the wall with a sign that said "Nick Boyle". Nick nudged Bobby to get his attention and then wandered in that direction.

"Hi. I'm Nick Boyle. What do you want?" Nick asked. As far as he knew no one was expecting him. Derek was still at his conference and Alex and Rachel were in the States. This didn't make a whole lot of sense.

"Nick. Nice to meet you," the blond man said as he held his hand out. Absently, Nick accepted the handshake. Then he waited for more information to be forthcoming. "I'm Tyler Jane. I'm with the Frankfurt Legacy house. If you come with me I'll be able to explain in greater detail."

"We weren't expecting help from the Legacy. I didn't put in a formal request to be met," Nick said. He could feel Bobby standing behind him. The man wasn't big but he had a strong presence about him. Nick could feel the disapproval rolling off the man in waves.

"I know. Alex did a search for three names. They sent a flag up on our system. We've been after them for a long time but haven't been able to prove anything. I'm hoping that I can help you do what we haven't been able to," Tyler said. He flashed a self conscious smile. In actual fact, if his Precept knew he was getting involved with this, he could be on the woman's shit list.

"The CEOs? What do you know about them?" Nick demanded as he unconsciously took a step toward the man.

"Please, this is not the place to have this discussion. Get your bags and I'll bring the car around," Tyler practically pleaded. He took a quick look around to see if anyone was paying too much attention to them. No one stood out to him.

"Fine, we'll listen to what you have to say before making a decision," Nick said. He glanced at Bobby as he headed toward the baggage carousel. This was going to be good or bad, only time would tell.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Thank you very much to everyone who is taking the time to read this story. I especially want to thank those of you who have taken the time to review. It absolutely makes my day!!! I hope you enjoy the next chapter. There's not so much in the way of action but it makes up for it in the information department. _

_Susanne  
_

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Sam was running, loping along with a grace and strength he'd never felt before. It was exhilarating as the wind blew by his ears and face and fluttered through his hair. He was in a forest, one he didn`t recognize at all. It didn`t even feel like someplace he`d been before. Looking around at the vegetation as it blurred past, Sam happened to glance down. What he saw sent his heart racing and pulled all the breath out of his lungs. He was on all fours. His hands and feet had turned to paws. He was a dog.

Sam came awake with a start, he sat bolt upright, gasping for breath. His eyes wide and frantic, Sam ran his hand over his chest and then over his arms. His heartbeat slowed as he realized it had been a dream. Gulping air like it was water, he glanced at his brother`s sleeping back. He was as safe as he was going to get. Still exhausted, Sam settled back down on the scratchy straw and was instantly asleep.

From his position between Sam and the door, Dean continued to lay in the straw, his eyes open. He`d heard Sam struggling in his sleep and was about to go to him when Sam had calmed. He wanted to be here for his brother but he also wanted to make sure he knew when anyone came near.

Dean had paced every inch of the cell. He tried everything he could think of to get the hell out of here but had come up empty. As he lay trying to not itch in the straw, Dean heard footsteps outside the cell door. With the stealth of a cat, Dean sprang to his feet and padded toward the door.

A grate at the bottom of the door slid open. A wooden tray was pushed inside. Dean didn`t even get a chance to see the person`s hands much less do anything about it. Then the grate slammed shut. Nonplussed, Dean looked at the tray. He was pleasantly surprised to see that it contained well cooked steaks, potatoes, carrots and two large plastic bottles of water. Drugged or not, he had every intention of eating the food offered. The strength would be well worth the muddled head.

Picking up the tray, Dean went back to his brother. He was careful of the contents as he sat down beside Sam and then shook his shoulder. He didn`t get a response so he decided to eat his portion and then try again. Sam probably needed the sleep but he was going to make sure Sam got the food too, even if it was a little cold.

OOOOO

"So," Nick began as he watched scenery whizzing by the passenger window. "Where exactly are you taking us?"

"Would you believe the Legacy house?" Tyler hedged. He was climbing out on a limb here. If his boss found out what he was doing the best he could hope for would be death. The worst he really didn't want to think about.

"Well, for that to be true we would have to be going in the opposite direction," Nick commented. He didn't know much about the town but he'd made sure that he knew how to get to the Legacy house. He'd hoped to make a stop there to get supplies. The unfortunate thing about going through customs was that they tended to frown on weapons.

"Okay. I admit it. We're going to a cottage on the outskirts of town. The Legacy house doesn't know that I've picked you up. My Precept gave me very specific orders about you after Ms. Devereaux contacted us. I am to stay as far away as possible and be as little help as possible," Tyler said. He didn't look away from the crowded, narrow roads that they were careening through but Nick had the distinct impression that the man was telling the truth.

"Why would your Precept not want to help us?" Nick asked. He glanced over his shoulder at Bobby perched in the back seat. European cars weren't quite as large as either man was accustomed to. The cast on Bobby's leg and arm didn't help the situation. If the situation weren't so tense, Nick would have chuckled at the unimpressed expression on the older man's face.

"He's in league with the werewolves," Tyler stated simply. He sent a sideways glance at Nick. He knew how this sounded. It was going to get even worse.

"Werewolves?" Nick and Bobby echoed.

"Sam told me what was going on in Montana. There were some signs of werewolves but there was more going on than just that," Bobby barked. He sat forward in his seat and glared at the man in the rear view mirror.

"You're probably used to dealing with half breeds," Tyler said. "These are the pure bloods."

The Frankfurt member had to stop talking for a moment while he navigated the roads. Nick was grateful that he didn't have to drive. It all seemed too close and random. Nick's mind raced too with everything he knew about werewolves. This wasn't making a whole lot of sense.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Bobby growled. He had every piece of literature he ever found on the creatures. Never was there mention about half breeds and pure bloods. Maybe this guy was getting confused with 'Harry Potter'.

"I know. It sounds like something out of a bad horror novel. I didn't believe it myself until I found a journal in my Precept's office this morning." Tyler paused in his recitation to keep the car on the road. It was rush house traffic. Never a good thing in Europe. The hectic pace outside the car was reflected by the tension inside. Tyler had the distinct impression either man was ready to pull his spine out of his body and beat him with it.

"The pure bloods are the ultimate alpha males. They are extremely aggressive which makes them very good at business. These men are beyond rich. They have the world by the tail but no one knows they exist until you go digging like Ms. Devereaux. Despite the folk lore, they do not turn into wolves under the full moon. Those are the half bloods. These creatures only turn as a result of extreme emotion or by choice."

"What does this have to do with Sam and Dean?" Bobby broke in. That was the only thing he cared about, getting his boys back.

"The pure bloods had the cabin in Montana built so that they could run and be themselves. That's why it's so damned remote. They don't want anyone knowing of their existence but they still want to be able to hunt in their true form. Unfortunately, whenever someone sees them, they're killed. In the case of your friends I think they may have been captured and brought here," Tyler said. He hated being the bearer of bad news but they'd asked.

"If these furry bastards usually kill intruders why would they keep the boys?" Bobby demanded. He didn't like what he was hearing. Half of him hoped the man was blowing smoke out his ass.

"Your friends are trained hunters, right? They thought they knew what they were up against and still got caught. These guys are rich, bored and used to having things their way. If your friends displayed any survival skills at all the werewolves wouldn't think twice about kidnapping them and dragging them here. They think humans are a lower form of being. We are here simply to make them richer and to be prey. They enjoy hunting humans but don't like the attention killing locals always brings," Tyler continued.

As the man talked the sun had begun the set. They were beyond the confines of the airport and downtown. The car had found quieter roads the further they went. It helped to relieve some of the tension in the car but not by much.

"Are you saying that Sam and Dean have been kidnapped to be used in a hunt?" Nick asked. He really hoped he was wrong. How had this been going on without San Francisco house finding out? What about the other Legacy houses? Did they have a clue or did they choose to ignore the signs?

"Pretty much," Tyler stated. They'd left the city behind. The sun had gone down but he knew where he was going, even in the dark. He pulled into a long, winding drive. It was the only place he could think to take the men that didn't involve the Legacy.

"Do you know where they are?" Bobby asked. He was ready to throttle the man. Why couldn't he just spill it? He wanted to know where the boys were and how the hell to get them home.

"No. I had enough time to get the general details from the Precept's office. Unfortunately, I didn't get everything. Jacob would have noticed if I'd taken the journal. As it is I think he's suspicious of me," Tyler said.

Nick could see the intense sadness and sense of betrayal in the man's blue eyes. He could only imagine how hard it would be to find out that Derek had been corrupted. The Legacy security specialist sent a silent prayer, hoping he'd never find out.

"So, what happened today that you suddenly decided to suspect your boss of being dark side?" Bobby asked. He'd been trying to keep track of where they went but had to admit he was hopelessly lost. Damn.

"I don't know. The information Ms. Devereaux dug up set my nerves on edge. Then Jacob told me it wasn't any of my business. He'd never stopped me from investigating anything before. He must have known that would make me suspicious. I just don't know what's going on. I slid into his office early this morning and spent some time snooping. I found the journal in a secret compartment in his desk ten minutes before he came in for the day.

"It dates back centuries. All the Precepts of the Frankfurt house were listed in it. They've all been in on it. Apparently it was easier to ignore them than to try to deal with them. They're too powerful politically and financially."

"This is a load of bullshit. Do you honestly expect us to believe any of this?" Bobby demanded. It didn't seem possible or even probable. It went against everything he knew about werewolves. If he was wrong about them, what else was he wrong about?

"Well, you can choose to believe me or not, it's your choice. But from the sounds of things your friends are being held by them. If you're lucky they'll give them a few days to recuperate before sending them out in the forest to hunt them like animals. I hope you find them, I really do. If you can do that without my help, the more power to you," Tyler said as he pulled up in front of a quaint little cottage. It looked like it belonged in the fairy tale 'Hansel and Gretel', not in real life.

Climbing out of the cramped little vehicle, Bobby and Nick shared a look over the smooth metal roof. Neither was certain of what to believe. Neither was willing to take the chance that Tyler was right.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

It took some doing but eventually Dean got Sam to wake up and eat his food. Well, eat was a pretty strong word. For the most part Sam chased it around the plate with his fingers. He wasn't sure that his stomach was going to handle solid food at the moment. He did, however, drink a large portion of his water. Dean had to stop him about half way through the bottle or else he would have inhaled the entire contents.

"Feel better?" Dean asked as he scanned his kid brother with a critical eye. What he found he didn't much like. Sam was pale and sweaty. His eyes had a glassy appearance about them. Dean wasn't sure if it was from fever or dehydration. Sam sat up just fine but Dean had the feeling that if he asked his little brother to stand for any length of time he'd quickly wear out. The fact that Sam had only nibbled on his food did nothing to allay Dean's fear.

"Yeah, a bit," Sam lied. If anything the water seemed to have upset his stomach. He could feel mild pains emanating from his gut. He tried to hide his discomfort but knew Dean would see it instantly. His brother knew him a little too well sometimes. Wearily, Sam pushed the mostly full plate away and curled up on his side with his back to the wall. As crappy as he felt he couldn't ignore his dad's and Dean's training. Never turn your back to an unsecured door.

"Bullshit," Dean grumbled. He picked up his own bottle of water and moved over to his brother. Under Sam's questioning look, he slid on his butt until he was within reach and pulled Sam's tattered shirt away from his chest. Sam hissed in pain. The material had been fastened to his skin by dried blood. Dean chose to ignore his brother's reaction. If nothing else Dean was going to make sure his brother's wounds were cleaned.

"Don't waste the water," Sam said. He didn't think wiping at the mess on his chest was going to do much good at this point. The dark marks had nearly disappeared but the furrows were red and angry. Sam could feel heat emanating from it. Infection was all ready starting. Half heartedly, Sam batted at his brother's hands when he went to wipe the first furrow with a damp piece of Dean's shirt. Dean had torn the bottom off his shirt. It was the cleanest piece of cloth he could think of.

"It's my water. I'll waste it if I want to," Dean shot back. He knew he sounded like a spoiled two year old but he couldn't help it. He really hated feeling this damned helpless. Especially with Sam not being one hundred per cent. For the first time, Dean silently cursed Nick and the Legacy for removing the demon blood from his little brother. At least with the demon blood Sam would have had a better chance of fighting the infection he was sure was running through his body. The demon blood had been good for something after all.

"Okay princess, it's your decision," Sam grated back. He didn't much like this either. He knew that if it weren't for Dean he might not have made it out of the crate. Not for the first time, Sam missed his former strength. Being this vulnerable wore thin after a while. Sam steeled himself. He knew this wasn't going to be pleasant for either of them.

As Dean placed the cloth against Sam's red, puffy skin, Sam took a quick intake of air through clenched teeth as fire spread through his system. It took everything Sam had to not pull away from Dean's gentle ministrations. Unable to do anything else, Sam closed his eyes tight and waited for the agony to be over.

OOOOO

One thing Nick had to admit about Tyler. The man was well prepared. If Tyler had really only had a few hours to prepare for their arrival, he'd been busy. When the two Americans walked into the cottage, they were expecting a very quaint, old person interior. What they found was a living room bristling with silver bullets, crucifixes and daggers. In among the coffee table, couch and chairs were crossbows and crossbow bolts with silver tips on them. A computer was set up in the corner. At a casual glance, Nick knew it was up to date and could probably give them access to pretty much anything they wanted.

Setting his duffle bag on the couch, Nick sank down beside it and turned to face Tyler who was standing in the middle of the room kind of vibrating with excess energy. Without saying a word, Bobby dropped his bags and took the nearest chair. If he hadn't experienced the pain of breaking his leg and arm the first time, the old hunter would have been sorely tempted to rip the confining casts off. He really hated being hindered by them.

"You mentioned that there are pure blood werewolves and half breeds. Did you get that from a bad novel or something?" Nick spoke first. He watched the blond man carefully.

"I know it sounds nuts. Until I read it in that journal this morning I thought I knew everything I needed to about werewolves. Now I'm not so sure. It all makes too much sense. The pure bloods are the original werewolves. From what I could tell they've been around for centuries. The parts I read made no mention of how they came to be werewolves but there was a lot in there about half breeds.

"Half breeds are the werewolves that have been bit by a pure blood or another half breed. The half breeds are normal human beings during the majority of the month. During the full moon they turn into a more base form of werewolf. They are dominated by animalistic urges, the human part takes a back seat," Tyler said. He seemed to relax a little while talking. He was so eager to have them believe him. He was so eager to no longer be alone with this knowledge.

"You mean Saturday night horror show werewolves are half breeds?" Bobby asked. He was still finding this all pretty hard to believe. All he really wanted to do was head out and start looking for Sam and Dean. Sitting in this cottage seemed to be an incredible waste of time, time they didn't have.

"Pretty much. The Legacy is used to dealing with the half breeds. We've never come up against the pure bloods. They're too well insulated, too protected," Tyler said. He'd begun to pace back and forth. His foot falls were muffled by the multiple throw rugs on the floor.

"If that's the case then how are we supposed to find Sam and Dean?" Nick asked. This was all starting to seem a little hopeless. He still had every intention of going to the head office and meet with the CEO's but he wasn't sure where to go after that.

"There's a ball being held at the company headquarters tomorrow night. Frankfurt house has been invited so I have to attend. I was hoping that while I was there acting as a diversion that one or both of you could break into the Legacy house and steal the journal. It may have more information, I don't know. I didn't have enough time with it and I couldn't risk taking it with Jacob in the house," Tyler suggested.

"How good are you at breaking and entering?" Nick asked, directing his question to Bobby. He didn't really expect the older man to say he'd do it, what with the casts and all, but he was secretly hoping he would. Nick had always wanted to attend a ball in Germany. Well, in the last two minutes it suddenly became a life time wish.

"Why, you got a big evening planned?" Bobby shot back. He felt completely out of sorts. Bobby Singer, the hunter, was used to being in complete charge of his life. Here he had no idea where to go or what to expect. He had never been outside of the continental US before. He'd been too busy fighting the baddies there to bother with the ones over the pond.

"Actually, I do. I plan on going to that ball too," Nick stated. He settled a little more comfortably in the couch and crossed his arms over his chest. He fully expected the man to try to talk him out of the decision. He wasn't so sure he was willing to give in. "Your Precept knows that I'm here. He knows I'm trying to contact the CEOs so why should I disappoint him?"

"That would be very dangerous for both of you. If you're caught breaking into the Legacy, jail is the best thing you can hope for and if you are found at the ball, Nick, I'm not sure what will happen," Tyler said. His pacing had increased in intensity. Clearly he was very distressed by the idea of either man being caught.

"What would you suggest we do then, sit around here on our asses while Dean and Sam are being held by overgrown dogs?" Bobby demanded. He'd pried himself out of the chair and stepped toward the blond man, intent on ripping him limb from limb if necessary.

"No! Of course not! I want to help find your friends. I just think that the journal would be the best move at this point. It may tell us where to start looking," Tyler said. He stood his ground. If the heavier man wanted to hurt him, he wasn't going to stop him. He could if he wanted to but Tyler didn't want to be responsible for injuring the man more than he all ready was.

"Okay. Where is this journal and what kind of security are we looking at?" Nick said. His initial impulse was to go to the company offices and start pounding on doors. It probably wouldn't be the best idea given what Tyler had told him. Damn Nick hated sitting on his ass.

OOOOO

Dean had fallen into a troubled sleep. He knew that Sam was sleeping behind him and in the dark recesses of the cell he figured it was probably night time. He'd tried as hard as he could to stay awake but eventually his body's needs took over. Luckily it appeared that no one had come into the cell while he'd been sleeping. Guilt reared its ugly head. Dean knew that he would have woken up at the sound of the key in the lock but it was still hard to ignore the fact that he'd been sleeping on the job.

The straw was scratchy. Sniffling quietly, Dean tried to find a more comfortable position. His dreams were unsettled. Wolves, vampires and demons tread through them. He had lost Sam and was frantically searching only to be hunted by some creature or another. Sweat broke out on his skin. The cool air in the cell set a chill into his bones.

Rolling onto his back, Dean glanced at his brother in the dim light. He was thankful that he could see Sam's profile and know that he was sleeping. That was one bonus over the crate. Sniffling again, Dean settled in for the rest of the night. He'd had his sleep. He wasn't going to get another one for a while.

Time passed. Dean wasn't so sure how slowly or quickly because he didn't have a watch and they'd taken his cell phone when they captured him. Dean still couldn't believe how easily the giant and his friends had come up on the two of them in the night.

Dean hated camping but they'd set up a tent to catch a few winks before heading out in the dark to hunt whatever had been killing locals and tourists alike. One second they were sleeping soundly, the next the tent was ripped to shreds, bags had come over their heads and their wrists and ankles were tied with ropes. Dean figured somewhere along the way, during the brief but fierce skirmish, that both he and Sam had been knocked unconscious. How else could they have been tied up so quickly?

Growling in frustration, Dean glanced at Sam again. As he watched Sam's face was marred by a grimace. Sam shifted around a little, clearly in pain.

"Hey, Sam, you okay?" Dean said as he shimmied over to his brother's side. Just as he reached out to touch his brother's nearest shoulder, Sam's eyes flew open and his body went rigid. Sam's back arched off the ground as a scream was ripped from his clenched mouth. "Sam!"

Sam seemed to be in the grips of a convulsion. His body was a few inches off the ground and he showed no signs of relaxing. Another scream and Dean tried to pull his brother to him. Sam's eyes rolled back in his head. He relaxed enough to roll away from his brother before he folded into a little ball. Sam had stopped screaming but Dean could tell that he was still in pain.

"Sam?" Dean said again as he moved even closer. He needed to make sure his brother was okay. He reached toward Sam's shoulder. Dean saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Ice flowed through his veins. Hesitantly, Dean lifted Sam's shirt. As he looked at his brother's arched back, Dean saw his spine move. "Oh my God," he breathed. Sam whimpered and tried to make his tall frame even smaller.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

Dean sat staring at his brother's back. Sam's spine had a mind of its own as it moved under his skin. Dean felt his own skin crawl in sympathy. The elder Winchester's mind raced. What the hell was he going to do now? How could he help Sam if he wasn't completely sure what was happening to him?

While Dean ran through the possibilities, his kid brother began to writhe on the ground in front of him. Forgetting everything but his brother, Dean shimmied forward and wrapped himself around Sam's body. On an unconscious level Dean figured if he could get himself between Sam and the rest of the world his little brother would be safe. Within seconds Dean came to the conclusion that it was kind of like trying to ride a wild bull.

In his agony, Sam was bucking and shifting as his body took on impossible proportions. Sam's muscles stretched and contracted as they tried to take on new shapes, shapes human bodies were never intended to take. Moans and shouts of pain erupted unheeded from his lips.

"Sammy," Dean breathed as he managed to hold his brother against the straw. Sam's eyes were tightly closed, his teeth clenched and his breath was coming out in uneven gasps. Sweat had broken out on his forehead and chest as he struggled. Dean got one of his hands free long enough to brush Sam's brown, too long hair out of his eyes. The action seemed to calm Sam slightly. Not giving a damn if it was a chick flick moment, Dean began to run his hand through Sam's hair. He watched as Sam oh so slowly began to relax.

Just as Dean had Sam nearly asleep, the door to the cell crashed open. Instinctively, Dean jumped to his feel and whirled around to face whatever was coming. They were going to have to go over his dead body to reach his little brother.

Two men stood there. One was the giant that they'd met on the airstrip. The other was a tall, lithe dark haired man dressed in an expensive suite. He definitely looked out of place in the shabby confines of the cell. Keeping a close eye on them, Dean tried to listen in on their conversation. Very quickly he realized that they were speaking in German. So much for figuring out what they were saying. Behind him, Dean could hear Sam continue to suffer. It appeared that the two men found his plight to be particularly interesting. Dean fought the urge to try to rip their throats out. His kid brother wasn't a freak to be examined under a microscope.

Their conversation over, the well dressed one stepped forward. He stared at Sam for a moment and then turned his attention to Dean. Dean was almost taken aback by the intense, almost feral intensity of the man's pale blue eyes.

"Your friend, he was bitten?" the man asked in heavily accented English. He stood at ease, almost as if he was standing on the street having this conversation.

"No. That guy over there scratched him," Dean spat through gritted teeth. He still felt the need to hurt this man the same way his brother was hurting.

A thoughtful expression spread over the man's handsome face while he continued to stare at Sam. Dean didn't dare look behind him to find out what was going on but the grunts and groans he was hearing gave him a pretty good picture. He had absolutely no idea how to help his brother but Dean figured getting rid of these guys would probably be a good first step.

"Has he been sick?" the man asked. The giant had stayed by the door but was keeping a very close eye on Dean. He didn't trust the hunter to behave. He was almost hoping Dean would try to attack them so the giant could relieve some tension by beating the crap out of him.

"Why?" Dean shot back. He'd answered all the questions he planned to. Behind the well dressed man, Dean saw the giant take a menacing step forward. The hunter in him was well aware of the damage the large man could do to him. The brother in him didn't care.

"A scratch should not cause him the troubles he is having." Nonchalantly, the well dressed man took several more steps toward the brothers. Dean was instantly on his guard. He wasn't letting this man anywhere near his kid brother. As the man came closer, Dean continued to glare at him. When he got within reach, Dean took a step forward and sent a round house uppercut toward the man's chin.

Almost nonchalantly, the man stepped aside at the last possible moment. The momentum of the blow Dean had intended to make sent him another step forward. The man was virtually beside him. Turning, Dean attempted to tackle the man. He wasn't letting him anywhere near Sam.

Just as he reached the well dressed man, a hulking mass appeared between them and Dean was swept off his feet. Instinctively, Dean struck at the bulk with both fists as quickly and with as much force as he could muster. His eyes came to rest on the giant's face as he began to lose the ability to focus them. The giant had him by the neck, crushing the breath out of his body. His feet kicked uselessly at the man's legs while he continued to rain blows on his upper body. The giant stood and grinned at him while Dean slowly felt unconsciousness threatening. He wasn't getting enough oxygen.

Desperately, Dean turned his head toward his brother. He couldn't reach Sam and his little brother was unable to protect himself. Still struggling, trying to get away, Dean watched as the well dressed man knelt beside his kid brother's body and rolled him over onto his back. The man examined the wounds on Sam's chest. Under the man's rough ministrations, Sam tried to pull away but was unsuccessful. With a disgusted grunt, the man pulled a metal case out of the inside breast pocket of his suit. Inside Dean could just make out a syringe and needle.

As his oxygen starved brain finally gave in, Dean watched with ever darkening sight as the man injected the contents of the syringe into Sam's upper arm. Fear spiked through Dean's system as he lost the battle and went unconscious.

OOOOO

Bobby and Nick were left alone in the cottage. Tyler had to return to the Legacy for the night or else he would raise suspicions. The two men were exhausted but unable to relax enough to sleep. Nick had gone on the computer and done all the research he could on the three men that were the most likely suspects in the boys' kidnappings. He also had Rachel and Alex do research from their end and send it directly to his cell phone.

Nick knew he could be traced with his phone but getting a disposable one wasn't an option at the moment. Maybe tomorrow after he got into to town and was able to do some research on his own he'd work on lowering his profile.

Distantly Nick wondered where Derek was. He could really use his mentor and boss's guidance on this one. Nick had been to Europe on multiple trips but he'd never had to try to coordinate and plan the whole thing by himself. Truth be told, he was starting to feel a little overwhelmed by it all. He was grateful for Bobby's presence. The man had a calm demeanour but seemed to seep into Nick as well.

Bobby was pouring over the blue prints of the Legacy house in Frankfurt. Tyler had given them every ounce of information he had about the security and general routines of the house he could think of. While it would definitely help, the old hunter wasn't sure how much he trusted the man. For that matter, he still wasn't too sure about Nick either. What he'd seen of the younger man so far impressed him but all he really had was the Winchesters' endorsement. Well, under normal circumstances that would be more than enough. With the brothers' lives hanging in the balance Bobby wasn't so sure.

Pulling his baseball cap off his head, Bobby ran his hands over his receding hairline and his lined face. He'd been staring at the blue prints for so long that they were no longer making a whole lot of sense. Across the room, Nick was absorbed in the computer screen. The younger man was hunched over, quickly scanning everything the computer showed him.

Not able to stand sitting around anymore, Bobby forced his chair back, stood up and clomped into the kitchen. He wasn't going to be a lot of help on this trip but he could still cook. If his gut was any indication, Nick must be starving too. The old hunter was relieved to find that the kitchen and fridge were well stocked. At least they wouldn't starve. Grunting, he set about fixing a meal. They were going to need their strength.


	10. Chapter 10

_Hi. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get this out. Work has been too busy and I'm too tired to move once I get home. I'm hoping to have an extra long chapter to submit on Monday or Tuesday. Thank you to everyone who is reading this story and especially to those of you who have taken the time to review. I'm always very excited to hear from you!!!_

_Susanne_

**CHAPTER TEN**

After a night of not much sleep, Tyler dragged his weary body out of bed, took a quick shower and headed downstairs to see what was on for breakfast. It was one of the many perks of working for the Legacy. Butlers, professionally cooked meals, taking on supernatural creatures all came in a day's work.

Sitting down on a chair at the kitchen table, Tyler tried to not look too closely at his boss, Jacob, as he ate his own food. There were very few people in the world that Tyler couldn't lie to. Jacob just happened to be one of those people. Despite every defence Tyler threw up, Jacob could read him like a book.

"So, Tyler," Jacob began. He pushed his bowl away, the contents gone. He picked up the morning newspaper and began to read it. "How was your day off yesterday?"

"Good," Tyler hedged. He concentrated on his own bowl. The chef made an incredible fruit salad. Today it seemed to taste particularly good.

"I hear you had family come in," Jacob stated. He flipped to the next page. He had absolutely no idea what he'd just read and at the moment he really didn't care. He knew what his younger counterpart had been up to. He supposed that in some way he should be angry and frustrated by Tyler's actions. The honest truth was that he understood them and that he applauded them. There were certain aspects of the Precept's job that he absolutely despised. Bowing down to the werewolves was one of them.

"What?" Tyler said, completely taken aback. He thought he'd done a superb job of hiding where he went and whom he was with.

"I was told that you picked up your cousins at the air port yesterday. I hope you had a good evening together. Will we be seeing them at the gala tonight?" Jacob said. He carefully kept his eyes on the paper. Secretly he was hoping Tyler and the two men that arrived from America would be able to put a stop to the travesty that was his life. If Jacob had been aware of this little glitch in taking over the job as Precept before he took the job, he would have refused. Flat out.

"Um," Tyler stumbled. Not quite sure where to go with that question. He threw a glance at his boss as the slightly older man as he continued to scan the paper. Fear gnawed at his belly. If Jacob was aware that he was helping the two Americans he was pretty calm about it. Almost too calm. Realization began to percolate through his mind.

"They were looking for a book. If they find it they'll join us at the gala," Tyler risked. He trusted Jacob. The dark haired, dark eyed man had never steered him wrong in the entire time he'd known him. Jacob was always pretty stern but that seemed to just be the way he was. For the life of him, Tyler couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his boss smile.

Jacob looked at his subordinate over the paper. He'd known Tyler had searched his office. Despite the younger man's attempt to hide the fact that he'd been in there, Jacob had known. He was almost grateful that the secret was no longer that, a secret. It had weighed heavily on his heart and mind.

In for a penny, in for a pound as the saying went. Casually, Jacob reached onto the chair beside him and pulled up the journal. If the Legacy council were to find out he'd done this, Jacob's life would be forfeit. The very best he could hope for would be to be excommunicated. "Is this the book you were looking for?"

Tyler couldn't believe his eyes. Surely it couldn't be that easy. He glanced around the room. He knew that all common rooms in the house were monitored by cameras. It was for their safety and to be able to go back and see what happened. Usually the person attacked by a supernatural entity wasn't able to speak. Tentatively, he reached toward the book. As his fingers skimmed over the leather cover, Tyler looked at Jacob. He almost expected the man to throw him in handcuffs and drag him before the council.

"You might want to give your older cousin this," Jacob stated as he placed an old, stoppered bottle on top of the book. He knew his predecessors were rolling in their graves at his treachery. Well, damn them to hell.

"Why?" Tyler couldn't stop the words from slipping out. He wasn't sure if he was asking what was in the bottle or why his boss was risking everything by giving him the book. Quickly he slid the book into his jacket and put the bottle in his chest pocket.

"I hear it's really good for helping heal broken bones. Tell him to drink it with a cup of coffee," Jacob stated. He stood up, nodded at the younger man and left the room. It was going to be a busy day, even before the gala. He'd better get started on the paperwork he'd been avoiding for a month or so. It was a good idea to have everything in order in case the council is called to investigate the hell that was about to be unleashed.

OOOOO

Dean woke with a start. Instantly on his feet, the older hunter scanned his immediate area, expecting to find a threat. All he found was Sam, curled up on his side sleeping peacefully. Dean shook his head to try to clear the cob webs. An arc of blood spread around him and Dean's head swam. He staggered slightly before recovering. One quick, rather wobbly circuit around the cell and Dean settled down beside Sam. As always, he unconsciously kept his body between his kid brother and the door.

His head had begun to ache. Grumbling under his breath, Dean wiped absently at the blood dripping from above his hair line. He looked at his brother closer, just to make sure he was all right. Sam was a little pale and a little clammy to the touch but he seemed to be in better shape than the last time Dean had been awake.

Suddenly Dean realized that he had absolutely no idea how long he'd been unconscious. It must have been a while though because his stomach was grumbling. Well, that didn't really mean much. His stomach grumbled with some regularity.

Tenderly, Dean reached toward his brother and pulled his shirt up so that he could examine the slash marks. He was greatly relieved to find that the black spider webs were gone and the wounds themselves appeared to be healing normally. Sam's skin was cool to the touch but then it wasn't exactly warm in the cell. Satisfied, Dean rolled onto his other side, set his back against his brother to lend him some of his warmth, and prepared to watch the door. Absently, he wiped the blood off his face. The flow had decreased but hadn't quite stopped yet.

OOOOO

Nick woke slowly. He hadn't realized just how tired he'd been until he rolled over, looked at the clock beside his bed and realized it was ten o'clock. Damn, he thought. Carefully he stretched his injured leg and arm. He was greatly relieved to find that while they were still a little tender there didn't seem to be any permanent damage.

Quietly, Nick slipped out of the bed and padded toward the bathroom. A few moments later, he was headed toward the kitchen. Nick really hoped that Tyler had the coffee well stocked, he could really use a cup or five. Walking into the small room, he was somewhat surprised to find Bobby leaning against the cupboard, a steaming cup of java in his large hands. "Good morning," Nick said as he made a bee line toward the cupboard and the coffee maker.

"Sleep well?" Bobby asked. He wasn't sure if he really cared but so far the younger man appeared to be okay. Bobby would feel a whole hell of a lot better when he knew where the brothers were and how long it would take to get them back. He'd slept pretty hard but not for very long. This was his second pot of coffee.

"A little too hard," Nick admitted. He'd located a mug and filled it with the aromatic, dark liquid. Taking a deep breath, Nick closed his eyes. It seemed like forever since he'd last had the chance to really enjoy a cup of coffee. "How's the arm and leg?"

"Still attached," Bobby replied. In truth, the damned appendages were aching like a son of a bitch but Bobby wasn't going to admit that to anyone. This morning he was really feeling his age.

Further stimulating conversation was interrupted by Tyler entering the cottage. Both men turned at the sound of the key in the lock. When Tyler stepped inside, there was a very odd expression on the blond man's face. Without a word he produced the journal.

Instantly Nick recognized the Legacy symbol on the front of the leather cover. In a mild state of shock he looked into the blond man's face. "Did you steal it?" he asked.

"No, believe it or not Jacob gave it to me this morning," Tyler said, a small grin creeping across his face. He'd glanced at the book on the way here but after nearly running into a trolley he decided driving and reading was probably not the best idea.

Tyler made his way over to the living room, followed closely by the two Americans. He set the book down on the table and flipped through to the last page he'd read.

"Why would Jacob give you this?" Nick wondered. The detail of the journal was incredible. Clearly it was from a time when there was no other way to keep the story straight. It reminded Nick of a time when a lot of care and pride were put into the creation of a literary work.

"I'm not sure. I think he wants this to be exposed. When I realized what was going on I couldn't believe that Jacob would allow it to continue. Maybe this is his way of stopping it," Tyler stated. He was skimming through the pages as quickly as possible. What he was seeing sent a spike of cold, hard fear through his heart all the way to his chest. The Legacy had been created to prevent this type of thing from happening, not condoning it by ignoring its existence.

"What's in the bottle?" Bobby asked. He wanted to push the younger man out of the way and take the book himself. He really hated letting anyone do his research. The question about the bottle was just a distraction while he came up with another plan of attack. A slightly less violent one.

"Jacob knew all about the two of you. He sent this to help with your broken arm and leg," Tyler said. He glanced up at the man and caught the brief expression of doubt that crossed his creased face. "This is the same book as I found before. I honestly think he's trying to help."

"If the elders are in on this Jacob is facing excommunication if they find out," Nick breathed. It was the ultimate threat to all Legacy members that stepped over the line. He couldn't imagine deliberately setting himself up to be vulnerable to that. At least not in such a public way. He'd done it once or twice on the sly though.

"What's this supposed to do?" Bobby asked suspiciously as he picked up the bottle and peered at its contents.

"I'm not sure other than to help you heal a little faster," Tyler admitted. He couldn't tear his eyes off the pages.

Still suspicious, Bobby set the bottle back down on the table. He turned his attention to the book.


	11. Chapter 11

_Hi. Sorry this chapter has taken so long. I know where I'm going with this story but the gap between where I want to go and how I'm going to get there is creating a few issues. I'm starting to find this kind of hard to write. I'm hoping the next chapter won't be quite so bad so I'll be able to update this story faster._

_Thank you for sticking with me!!!_

_Susanne_

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Wind blew in his face as Sam ran through a deep wood. It was the fastest he'd ever moved and yet it felt effortless. His breath came out evenly while his heart pumped like a well oiled machine. All around him, Sam could feel and hear the animals and birds in the forest around him. Even the slightest rustle of a feather came clear as day to his ears.

Jumping over a four foot bush like it was nothing, Sam happened to glance down. His arms were legs and all he could see of his skin was covered in a dense layer of fur. Now that he was aware of his body, his four legs became entangled and Sam went skidding in the dirt, snout first.

With a start Sam sat bolt upright and looked around the cell with blurry eyes. Still not quite sure of the line between reality and dream, he ran a shaking hand over his face. Relief flowed through him when he found skin. Even the stubble on his chin and cheeks was reason for joy.

"What's up?" Dean asked from a few feet away. The elder Winchester was still positioned between his brother and the door but he was on his feet and pacing back and forth. Man he wanted to get out of here.

"What? Oh, just a dream. What did I miss?" Sam said as he stretched cramped muscles and gathered his legs under him to stand. He felt the need to be moving as well.

"You mean besides your spine moving under your skin?" Dean asked. He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. An almost panicked look crossed Sam's face as half remembered pains came back.

"That was real?" Sam asked, half hoping his brother was lying to him. Flashes played through his mind as it they happened to someone else.

"Yeah," Dean replied. He kept glancing at his brother out of the corner of his eye as he paced back and forth. Frustrated, he paced to the cell door and hit it with his fist. Damn he wanted out of here.

The first couple of steps actually felt pretty good. It had been far too long that Sam had lain in the straw of the cell. While he moved and remembered a few minor muscles spasms plagued him. At first Sam thought it was just residual pain to accompany the memories. Shaking it off absently, Sam moved over to the furthest wall and began to run his hands along it. Surely there was a way to get out of here that didn't involve the locked door.

As Sam's fingers ran over the cold rock they began to cramp, pain burning through them causing them to fold in. Looking at his hand with an almost disinterested curiosity, Sam realized they looked remarkably like paws. Fear swept through his system. "Dean?"

Stopping in his tracks, Dean turned to face his brother. Sam had his back toward him but he could still see that Sam was staring at his hands. "Sam? What's going on?" Instantly concerned, Dean moved to Sam's side. Just as he reached him, Sam let out a scream and crumpled to the ground.

"Sammy?" Dean hunched down over his brother, trying to see what was going on as Sam writhed on the ground. Feeling helpless, Dean knelt down, caught hold of Sam's shoulder and rolled him onto his back. Under his fingers, Dean could feel his brother's muscles convulsing. "Sammy?"

His only answer was another scream as Sam's body arched off the ground. His eyes were scrunched closed and Sam's face was white and covered with sweat. Sam's mouth contorted as yet another scream ripped through his throat.

Not sure of how to help, Dean picked his contorting brother and set him in his lap. He tried to restrain Sam's convulsions with his own arms and legs with only limited success. Scared beyond anything he could remember, Dean rested his head against the side of his brother's face and held on for dear life as Sam's longer limbs seemed to grown several inches if not more limbs.

"Hang on Sammy, I'm here," Dean muttered into Sam's ear. He didn't know if his kid brother could hear him but he wanted to make sure he knew he was still there. "Hang on."

Sam's world had been reduced to the muscles and bones of his body as they twisted and turned, forming shapes no human body was meant to take. Agonizing pain ripped through his body. His blood rushed through his ears, blocking out all other sound. His blood seemed to burn through his body, adding to the hell he was living. As a fourth scream left his throat raw, Sam's mind did the only thing it could. It shut down.

OOOOO

"Quit fidgeting," Nick said out of the side of his mouth while he tried to hide a smile. The old hunter was looking decidedly uncomfortable. Personally, the Legacy member thought Bobby looked very handsome in his new suit. He and Tyler had even managed to convince Bobby to get a haircut and trim his beard too. Now the two Americans were standing in the middle of a huge hall surrounded by the city's rich and elite.

"This damned thing itches," Bobby grumbled. He had suits. He used them regularly to role play during his hunts to dig for information. All of his own suits put together probably didn't cost as much as this one but he hated it anyway. Absently, the old hunter scratched at his newly liberated arm. If it wouldn't be too hard in the crowded room, he would have bent down and scratched his leg too.

Whatever had been in that vial had worked. Within minutes of being forced to swallow it, Bobby had felt a fiery heat run along the bones. It had taken everything in him to keep from calling out in front of the other two men. He could almost feel the bones knitting together. It too was painful but he managed to down play the sensation. If his boys weren't in trouble there would have been no way he'd have drank the terrible smelling and tasting concoction.

"You sound like a ten year old," Nick stated. He didn't bother to look at his companion. His eyes were too busy scanning the crowd. Out of habit, he'd found a place along the railing on the second floor of the room. The vantage point gave him an incredible view of everyone. Well, almost everyone. They were going to have to move around to see the room in its entirety.

Now that they knew what they were looking for, the two Americans could readily spot the werewolves in the crowd. They were all tall, beautiful and very charismatic. Idly Nick wondered if all the evils of the world looked so fair on the outside while they rotten on the inside. Making their way through the crowd, a trio of men made sure to acknowledge everyone they met, especially the members of society that were old blood, such as themselves. Unobtrusively, a group of ten men followed within reach, clearly their body guards.

"How exactly are we going to do this?" Bobby asked. They'd spent hours creating and dismissing plans. Eventually they'd run out of time. They'd had to settle on the one plan that would hopefully not result in their deaths.

"Watch and learn," Nick stated. This wasn't going to be pretty but he wasn't here to make friends with the three men. He was here to stir the pot, something he was very good at. Weaving his way through the hoard of bodies, Nick kept an eye on the men's path, intent on cutting them off.

OOOOO

Dean felt Sam slump in his grasp. That did little to ease Dean's troubled mind. He could still see and feel Sam's body trying to change form. Even unconscious, moans and grunts escaped Sam's slack lips. It was eerie feeling his little brother's bones and muscles convulsing. Gritting his teeth, Dean held on a little tighter.

The lock on the cell door rattled and then it swung open. It took a moment for Dean to extract himself from his brother's limp body. By the time he gained his feet four men had entered the cell. He didn't recognize any of them as he moved to put his body between them and his brother. They were going to have to go over his dead body.

"What do you want?" Dean growled his hands knotted into fists. They were the only weapons he now had.

"Your brother," the lead one said in heavily accented English. As he spoke the other three men fanned behind him, preparing to attack Dean from multiple sides.

"You can't have him," Dean said. He backed up as close to his brother as he could without actually stepping on him. Behind him, Sam continued to writhe in pain. The very sound of his brother's anguish was forcing bile into the back of his throat.

"He's a Lupin now. Or he will be with his first full moon. He won't know you then. You will just be another piece of meat to gnaw on. Do you really want to see that?" the leader asked in a conversational tone of voice. The other men continued to move into position.

"Sam would never do that," Dean breathed. He couldn't believe that his kid brother would ever forget who he is. They'd been through too much together.

"You'll be surprised by what Sam will be able to do," the leader laughed. "This conversation is beginning to bore me. Take him."

The three men attacked simultaneously. They were much stronger than they looked and all of them had about six inches on the elder Winchester. Even with using his hunter training, Dean promptly found himself lying on the floor on his stomach, his hands tied behind his back.

"That was fun," the leader stated. With a nod, he indicated to his underlings where they should take the young human. Too strong hands caught hold of Dean while he struggled against his bonds and lifted him effortlessly.

"Sammy!!" Dean cried out as he saw Sam's unconscious body moving away from him. They were taking him out of the cell, leaving his little brother completely alone. Vulnerable. They were moving Dean feet first, his stomach inches off the ground.

"Sammy!!" The door slid shut in front of Dean. Cutting him off from Sam.


	12. Chapter 12

_Thank you very much to sammygirl1963, eggylaine, and masondixon for your continued support. I absolutely love hearing from you! I hope you enjoy the next chapter. At least I seem to be getting somewhere now!_

_Susanne_

CHAPTER TWELVE

Nick had just a few yards to go. The three men were right in front of him. All the Legacy member had to do was get past two rather large men when something got in his way. Nick knew that Bobby was behind him. He tried to reach past the body in front of him when his arm was caught.

"Not now," Tyler hissed as he pulled the smaller man away from the group.

"What are you talking about? I need to find Sam and Dean," Nick grated as he tried to pull away from the other Legacy member. He was surprised at how strong Tyler really was. Beside the blond man was an older man with dark hair and dark eyes.

"And we will. Just not this way. Come on," Tyler beckoned to Bobby and began to cart Nick away from the crowd without being too obvious. "I'll explain. Someplace more private."

Not at all happy but not willing to make a scene that may later come back and bite him in the ass, Nick allowed himself to be led out of the celebration. The two of them were followed by Bobby and the dark haired man. Now that he had a chance to look the other man over, Nick realized that he was Jacob, the Frankfurt Precept. Something was up. He only hoped it would help them find the boys.

On the broad stone steps of the building, Nick finally managed to pull his arm away from Tyler. The Legacy members stopped dead and turned to face each other. The street was fairly busy with vehicles travelling up and down it and people walking along the side walk. A quick check told Nick that no one was paying them any particular attention.

"Now. Tell me what's going on here," Nick growled. Bobby had taken up a position slightly behind him and to his right. Instinctively Nick knew the older man was prepared to cover his back. Just in case things got hinky.

Tyler stood facing Nick. He took a deep breath. Unconsciously, he glanced at his superior who stood slightly behind him. "We have another way. There are too many people here," he stated simply.

OOOOO

Dean was frantic. The werewolves had put him in a much smaller cell some distance from the one he'd shared with Sam. Even with the thick walls and small window in the door he could hear his brother screaming. It was a sound unlike anything he'd ever heard before. That very thought propelled Dean around the cell, anxiously running his hands along the walls.

Dean had heard Sam in pain more times than he cared to count. It was the nature of what they did. Almost every time they went out to fight something that was stronger and faster than any mere human one of both of them were injured.

The sound being ripped from Sam's throat at the moment was primal in nature. It kept changing in pitch and tenor. If Dean didn't know better, it seemed that as Sam vocalized his mouth and or throat were changing shape.

"Sam!!!" Dean yelled at the top of his lungs. Maybe Sam would hear him and know he was still nearby. As Dean continued to shout for his brother, he kept hoping that he was in some way reducing his brother's stress and pain.

As Dean paced by the window, he happened to glance outside and saw the men from earlier walking by. In the leader's hand was a hypodermic needle. "You stay away from my brother!!" Dean cried through the bars.

The men ignored him and continued down the hall way. Dean heard them stop at Sam's door, unlock it and step inside. Sam's screams were momentarily louder while the door was opened and then they were muffled again. A few moments later, the cries slowly began to decrease in volume and length. Then they stopped all together.

The door opened and the men began to troop down the hall again. As Dean watched, one of the paused by his door opened the small access port and shoved a plate full of food and three bottles of water through it. He muttered something in German but Dean had no idea what exactly he'd said. Looking down at the plate and the bottles, Dean's initial reaction was to kick it away. The last thing he felt like doing at the moment was eating. But his father's training quickly took hold.

As much as he wanted to get to Sam, at the moment he couldn't. Dean had to see to his own survival so that he could help Sam when the time came. Slightly deflated, Dean bent over, picked up the plate and bottles and moved to the far corner. With absolutely no enthusiasm, Dean began to mindlessly chew, his mind on his brother and what they were doing to him.

OOOOO

The four men gathered at a coffee shop several blocks away from the gala. Nick and Bobby were still seething, frustrated by their lack of progress thus far. Every hour they spent here was one more hour that the Winchesters were at the hands of strangers.

"What's the plan?" Nick growled. He was seated in the booth with the others but his right leg was jiggling up and down under the table top. It was a result of his frustration and just general excess energy. The need to throttle someone, anyone, was burning through his mind.

"There will be an auction tomorrow night. The Legacy Precept is always invited but I've never gone. The very thought turns my stomach," Jacob said. He was staring at the two Americans. Guilt was burning through his system. Despite his best efforts, shame coloured Jacob's cheeks.

"An auction? What kind of auction?" Bobby demanded. If he was wearing his ball cap he would have thrown it on the table for emphasis.

Jacob's head dropped, breaking eye contact with the two men. Damn he wished he hadn't let this go on as long as he had. Finally, he squared his shoulders and turned his dark eyes up to look directly into Nick's dark blue ones. "It's an auction for half breed werewolves. They sell them to full bloods to be used for labour or protection or anything else they come up with."

"They sell each other? That's twisted," Tyler breathed. This was getting worse with every new development.

"I assume it's a way to keep half breeds from running wild, attacking people, when the moon is at its height. I don't condone it, I don't condone the whole thing but it's too easy to just let things stay the way they are," Jacob admitted. The blush was beginning to leave his cheeks but the shame and discomfort could still be seen in his dark brown eyes. For a brief moment Nick almost felt sorry for the guy. Almost.

"What does this have to do with Sam and Dean?" Bobby wanted to know. Absently, he ran a hand over his newly shorn hair.

"I'm hoping nothing but it's an excuse to get inside the grounds. The auctions are always held within the enclosed stable. I think it's to keep prying eyes and ears out of their affairs," Jacob stated.

"Won't they be suspicious when you suddenly show up with two strangers? Won't they be suspicious if you suddenly show up at all?" Nick asked. His stomach was somewhere around his ankles. Instinct told him that something was very wrong with the brothers apart from being kidnapped. He just hoped he was wrong.

"I laid the ground work tonight. I told Peterson that I wanted to come out and see the proceedings for myself so that I could make my own decisions. The Legacy is big enough and enough of a threat worldwide for them to let me do what I want. To a certain point," Jacob explained.

"So you expect us to sit around waiting all night and tomorrow. We've done enough sitting around. It's time for us to start taking actions of our own," Nick growled. He hated feeling useless.

"That's what I was hoping for. With the gala, the werewolves are going to be busy for the night. There should be fewer half breeds on guard duty. I was hoping that the two of you would be willing to do a little recognisance tonight before we go in there tomorrow," Jacob stated. He knew the two men had no reason to trust him but they were the only ones who could do it. He and Tyler were all ready known to too many of the half breeds. They'd stick out like a sore thumb.

"Just let me get out of this monkeys suit," Bobby said. He didn't even need to look at Nick. He knew the younger man was ready to get his hands dirty as well. All this waiting around was for the birds.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The forest was thick, much thicker than Nick or Bobby was used to dealing with. The trees were dense and the underbrush was even fuller, making moving quietly just a fantasy. Despite all of their skills, there was no way to move without making some kind of noise.

Nick was surprised, however, at just how well the old hunter could move now that his arm and leg were healed. Tyler and Jacob had dropped them off on a fire road as close to the property as they could get in a motor vehicle without going in the front gate. Nick led the way, which seemed to annoy Bobby to some extent but he managed to keep it under control.

"Do you know where you're going?" Bobby asked in a hushed voice. He believed the younger man was fully competent at following a compass. After all he had military training. Yeah, like that really made a difference.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Nick growled as he stepped over a particularly large tree root. If they weren't careful, the two men could break a leg out here in the middle of nowhere.

"I'm just checking. Those are my boys out here. I need to know that we are going to find them," Bobby responded. It was the longest speech the man had made since getting to Europe. Nick whole heartedly agreed.

"We'll find them," Nick reassured the older man. He would have turned to face the man but time was of the essence, they had none to waste on a touchy, feely moment that neither man was going to be comfortable with.

OOOOO

Dean had eaten his entire meal even though it tasted like sawdust to him. Pushing the plate away, he drank down half of one of the bottles of water. He figured he didn't need to hoard it, apparently having him die of starvation or dehydration weren't in the cards for him. That was a comforting thought.

Suddenly exhausted beyond words, Dean curled up in the corner of the cell, his head pointed toward the door in case someone should come in. Down the hallway, Sam had stopped screaming but the lack of sound actually made things worse. Now that he couldn't hear his brother's voice, Dean worried that maybe he'd succumbed to whatever was happening to him. Life without his kid brother was no life at all for Dean. It was a life that he couldn't even fathom. It was beyond his ability to comprehend.

As tired as Dean was, his eyes refused to close. They were focused on the door both hoping and dreading the opening of the portal and what would come through it. Before he knew what was going on, Dean's eyes slid shut and oblivion overtook him.

OOOOO

They'd finally gotten through the woods and were standing on the edge of the trees on the crest of a small hill and were looking down on the complex. Well, castle was a more accurate description. The central building appeared to be out of Camelot with four turrets, a brick wall all the way around it except for a large gate. The building in the center stood about five floors tall, the tallest point being a spire.

Surrounding the castle were four outbuildings. The only one Nick immediately recognized its purpose was the riding stables. It seemed a little strange that werewolves would ride but then, they weren't always in their fur suits. Still, wouldn't the horses be freaked if they were expected to carry a predator on their back. Wouldn't the horses smell the predatory nature of the human werewolves?

Shaking his head, Nick chose to not follow that line of thought. The only thing that mattered was finding the brothers and getting the hell out of here.

"Well, this looks like it's going to be fun," Bobby growled under his breath. Why did they have to get dragged to Goddamned Germany by werewolves? He wondered.

"I can't quite figure out what all of the buildings are from here but I doubt that prisoners would be held outside the castle anyway," Nick stated. He was talking more to think things through than to share anything with the older man. He figured Bobby had probably figured all this out all ready. Well, maybe not.

"I think you're right," Bobby agreed. The prisoners would be too easy to rescue or escape if they were outside the walls. That didn't really help them much though. Getting through the gate was going to have to wait until they had an open invitation. Like to an auction for half breeds. Bobby's stomach turned at the very thought.

The two men spent a few minutes trying to find a better vantage point, and then they spent several hours just sitting and watching. They were trying to familiarize themselves with the inner workings of the compound. Everything they could figure out before the evening's events would give them an advantage, they hoped.

OOOOO

A few hours later, Dean heard the door open to his cell. Instantly awake, he opened his eyes and watched to see who or what was coming in. He was only moderately surprised to see the leader and two of his men.

"Up and at 'em boy," the leader growled in heavily accented English.

"Go screw yourself," Dean replied as he allowed his eye lids to slide shut again. He knew where the men were and could track their movements well enough while appearing unconcerned.

That caught the werewolves by surprise. But just for a heartbeat or two. A low rumble filled the room. It took a few moments for Dean to recognize it was laughter. The lead dog was chuckling to himself.

"Aren't we feisty one. Well, you're going to need that tonight," the leader said. Then hands were grabbing hold of him and pulling him to his feet. So much for being able to hear them, Dean thought to himself. Fighting against the steel like grip, Dean took a quick glance around the cell. The two lackeys had hold of him and the leader was standing back, a scary looking smile on his face.

"Don't hurt him too badly. It would ruin the hunt," the werewolf stated. Dean knew he was speaking English so that he would know what he'd said. He was trying to psych Dean out. Well, Dean didn't psych out very easily.

"What hunt?" Dean asked, only half caring. All he really wanted to do was to get the hell out of here and go rescue Sammy. None of the rest of this mattered a whole lot.

"It's kind of like the fox and the hound. Guess which you are." The leader nodded his head to his men and Dean was being unceremoniously dragged toward the door. He put up a token struggle but so long as they were taking him in the direction he was going, Dean was willing to go.

Dean was dragged out the cell door, down the hallway to the left and then right past Sam's door. As they neared Sammy's door, Dean struggled with all his might. From the reaction he got, it was little more than a minor nuisance to the men. He kept it up anyway. He was going to get back to his brother even if he had to kill every werewolf in the place.

"Sammy!" Dean screamed as he was pulled to the end of the hall where it intersected two other hall ways and down the right hand side. Dean's arms were getting bruised, badly, as he continued to struggle. The men pretty much ignored him, not even bothering to adjust their grip the farther they went. Dean was insulted. He was used to anything he fought to take him completely seriously. It bruised his ego to say the least.

The fresh air when they finally reached it was such a treat. Not a particularly avid outdoorsman, Dean was surprised just how good it really was after the cool, dankness of the cells. He was still desperate to reach Sam but the further he was dragged, the dimmer his hopes became. As he continued to struggle, Dean saw that they were in a castle. Damn. He had a dim sense of the size of the place in the lingering dark but he couldn't quite get any specifics.

The sky to his left was just beginning to lighten with the first rays of sunlight. It gave him a reference point but didn't quite help him as much as Dean had hoped. He felt more than saw as the two werewolves pulled him through a large gate entrance and to the buildings beyond. Once they reached the far side of the closest structure, just along the edge of the forest, the two men stopped and released their hold on him.

"What happens now?" Dean asked as he scanned the dense brush and trees. Making his way through that on foot wasn't going to be easy. The best he could hope for was to get up onto the ridge the sun was just highlighting. It would make the werewolves have to climb up to reach him. Dean was hoping this would at least give some edge on the faster, stronger creatures. But he wasn't holding his breath.

The leader handed him a small backpack. A quick glance showed that it contained bottles of water and C Rations but nothing else.

"You run," the leader stated, a predatory grin spreading across his ugly, broad face.

As much as he wanted to get back to Sam, Dean realized in a moment that he was going to have to survive this first. Over the leader's shoulder he could just make out several other shapes moving around in the gloom still shrouding the castle's outer wall. In the dim light, Dean could see the animalistic reflection of several pairs of eyes. Fear gnawed at his insides as Dean turned and bounded into the forest. If he was going to die, he was going to do it trying to get away.

OOOOO

"What did you see?" Bobby asked. Nick had been scanning the castle with a pair of binoculars when the younger man had become very still, his attention caught by something.

"It's still dark," Nick hedged. The honest truth was that he really couldn't see very well but he could have sworn he saw a man being dragged out of the castle. Trying to keep his excitement at bay, Nick took careful, controlled breaths as he continued to watch.

"Maybe, but you still saw something," Bobby pushed. There was only one pair of binoculars, Bobby was cursing the fact at the moment under his breath.

"There' s something going on," Nick said. He was staring as hard as he could through the twin lenses. Then the light finally cleared the tallest trees on the east side just as a small figure bolted for the trees. He couldn't be sure but in the microsecond he'd seen the figure, Nick determined that the body was the right size and shape to be Dean. As he moved, Nick became even more convinced. "It's Dean. I think they've started the hunt."


	14. Chapter 14

_Thank you very much my three friends for your reviews! You keep me interested when I've started another story and am getting carried away with it. I'm easily distracted, what can I say?_

_Masondixon, this chapter is for you. I have a feeling you're going to like it. Enjoy!_

_Susanne_

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

It was damned dark. Dean tripped and barely managed to catch himself three times in the first hundred meters. By the third time, his light dazzled eyes had begun to adjust. Pounding through the underbrush, trying to put as much distance between him and the werewolves as possible, Dean took a very careful, very quick look at the landscape.

The hill was to Dean's right. The only problem with reaching it was a particularly dense section of shrubs. Even in the dim light his night vision allowed him to see, Dean knew there was no way to get through that didn't involve a great deal of time and a lot of noise. He couldn't even tell how wide the brush was so it could be thirty centimetres or several meters thick.

Still running, Dean bypassed the shrubs and followed them instead. The forest was silent. Dean had expected to hear the occasional nocturnal animal or bird scuttling about or at least complaining at his intrusion but the only sound he heard were his feet beating in the dirt and the snapping of branches. John Winchester would be appalled at the reckless manner of his passage. Images of his Dad's disapproval played through Dean's mind, momentarily distracting him.

That was all it took. One moment Dean was speeding through the trees, the next he was sprawled face first in the foliage. A sharp pain flashed through his right ankle and made its way through to his knee.

Dean grit his teeth to keep from calling out as he pushed his torso off the ground. He had to keep going. They were going to be after him and he had to escape to help Sammy.

His ears open to anything that might be coming up behind him, Dean tried to gain his feet. He sounded like a steam engine as he caught his breath while he struggled. He'd gotten up onto his left knee when he tried to get his right one under him. Fresh pain spiked through Dean's leg all the way from his ankle to his hip.

Ignoring it as best he could, Dean took a solid five steps before he found himself back in the dirt. His entire right leg had gone numb except for the grating of small bones in his ankle. They were coming. Dean could hear the werewolves padding through the bushes behind him.

Sweat had broken out on Dean's body in reaction to the damage done to it and the exertion of his flight thus far. In the minute since he'd stopped moving his breathing had all ready returned to normal. One of the benefits of chasing supernatural beings for a living, you stayed in shape.

The werewolves were still several hundred meters behind Dean and slightly to his left. He wasn't sure if they were being cautious for safety's sake or to prolong the hunt. Dean decided to not find out. Beside his right hand in the dirt, Dean's fingers grazed something. Grasping it convulsively, he ran his other hand along it to find that it was a rather large branch.

Using it as a makeshift crutch, Dean got back onto his feet and continued on at a much slower pace.

OOOOO

Nick was several meters ahead of Bobby as they quickly but carefully made their way down the hill. The ex Seal was setting their course in an attempt to intersect with the younger man.

The woods were so dark that, at first, Nick had a hard time separating the shadows. But the further they went, the more the rising sun began to light their way.

They'd travelled half the distance, by Nick's estimation, when he detected noises some distance away but almost directly ahead of them. Nick paused to let the older hunter catch up with him. Whatever was happening, Nick wanted to approach it from a position of strength.

Three heartbeats later, Bobby was beside Nick, similarly crouched in among the underbrush. Their faces were toward the advancing sunlight. Their skin would stand out like a strobe light if they weren't careful. Nick scooped up some of the soil around the roots of the bushes, spit in it and began to rub it onto his face and hands. All the better to hide with. Bobby imitated his actions. With a silent agreement, the two men headed for the noise, their weapons drawn.

OOOOO

Realizing that there was no way he could outrun the werewolves or hide from them. Dean stopped on a slight rise and turned to face them. It he was going to die today, he was going to go down fighting. Wielding the branch like a club, Dean tried to keep his weight off his bad leg while still looking tough.

The eyes were the first thing to give the werewolves away. In the receding black of the forest, Dean made out one pair of eyes reflecting then and then two. Fear for his brother brought a lump to Dean's throat. His only real job in this world was to protect his younger brother and he'd failed miserably.

A younger, more selfish part of Dean's psyche was grateful that if they were both going to die that he went first. Dean couldn't face a world without Sam in it. Not even for a few minutes.

His hunter training clued Dean into the present of the other four long before he saw them. The next thing Dean knew, he was surrounded by eight of the ugliest, fiercest, brawniest, toothiest creatures he could ever remember facing.

With a clinical detachment, Dean observed the nearest one. It almost seemed to be a cross between a wolf and a bear. The facial features were very much what Dean had come to expect. It had the pronounced snout, large canine teeth and feral, light blue eyes. The shoulders were very broad and heavy while the hips were narrow by comparison. The ears were small and close to the head, just like a bear. The hands were large and the claws were immense. Of course, it was completely covered in dense, brown fur.

Then Dean no longer had time to think so hard as he was fighting for his life. He swung the tree branch as if to hit the ball out of the park at the nearest monstrosity. The branch shattered across its left shoulder, barely breaking its stride.

Dean tried to shift his stance to prepare for the onslaught and his right leg went out from under him. As he collapsed to the ground, Dean felt a wind breeze by his head as the werewolf's claw passed over his head.

"Get away from me, fluffy," Dean growled as he struggled to get back onto his feet. He used what was left of the branch to force his way to his feet and then swung it at the one to his left. While he was in the midst of the swing, the one on Dean's left darted in on all fours and sank its great teeth into his side, just above his hip bone.

The pain took Dean's breath away and the branch fell nerveless to the ground as his hands moved to pull the werewolf off him. Dean didn't get that far as the werewolf stood to its full height, dragging Dean off the ground and shook him like a rag doll.

Muscle and flesh tore under the onslaught. Dean screamed as the pain overwhelmed his senses. Another werewolf sprang forward and caught Dean's left forearm in its mouth. As the teeth sank deeply into the flesh, finding the bone underneath, the other werewolf tried to wrench his prey away. Dean was only vaguely aware of his humerus being pulled out of its socket as his shoulder dislocated.

Prepared to die, Dean brought his right hand up and dug his fingers into the werewolf's eyes. The shock caused the creature to loosen its grip on his side. At the same time, the other one jerked Dean away. The unexpected momentum pulled Dean's arm out of its mouth as he sailed through the air. The last thing the elder Winchester was aware of was a tremendous blow against the right side of his head, from his temple to his jaw. Then darkness descended.

OOOOO

Now that the prey wasn't moving anymore, the werewolves circled Dean, who was curled around the base of a large tree. It wasn't as much fun if the prey didn't move, fight or scream. Angrily, they paced, hoping Dean would regain consciousness so the hunt could continue.

Finally deciding Dean was down for the count, the largest werewolf stepped forward intent on extinguishing the human's miserable life.

Just as the werewolf was about to crush Dean's skull with his left foot, a pain burned through his left chest and into his heart. Stunned, the werewolf put his food down and placed his right hand to his chest. It came away sticky with blood. Then the pain intensified as the content of the bullet began to permeate its flesh and blood. The werewolf staggered back as the werewolves standing beside him also was struck. There was no sound but two more werewolves were hit. They were all upright but were definitely injured.

Growling, the big werewolf turned in a slow circle, trying to locate the threat. Several meters in front of him there was a momentary flash of light and then the werewolf to his left dropped like a stone. Still mildly stunned, the big werewolf turned to see what had happened to his pack mate. Blood streamed from where his right eye had been. The werewolf was dead.

For the first time in many centuries, the werewolves had to face mortality. It terrified them. Lifting their heads to the sky, the werewolves howled their anguish at the loss of their pack mate. Then they turned, picked up the body of their pack mate and headed back for the castle and safety. Dean had been completely forgotten.

OOOOO

"Damn, boy, but you're a mess," Bobby breathed as he looked down at Dean's ravaged body. Blood seemed to be coming out of every orifice, including some he hadn't had before.

Nick had to pause for a moment to swallow bile and regain his composure. Then he plunged in. He was going to run out of bandages pretty quickly but he had extra clothes that would suffice. Pulling the largest bandage out, Nick applied it to Dean's ravaged side. The boy whimpered under his ministrations and weakly struggled but Nick's only concern was stopping the bleeding.

Beside him, Nick felt Bobby kneel down and begin working on Dean's head where it had connected with the tree trunk.

"How are we going to get him out of here?" Bobby asked as he worked. He was too used to being in charge of every situation. This one was beyond him and the old hunter absolutely hated it.

"Let's get the bleeding stopped and his shoulder reset. Then we'll worry about it," Nick said. His mouth was set in a thin line as he concentrated on his work. There was no way he was going to lose the younger man. Not now, after finally finding him. Nick only hoped Sam was faring better.


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The trip out was actually a lot easier than either man had expected. As soon as they got Dean bandaged up and squared away as best they could, Nick and Bobby supported him between them and began the trek to a road, any road.

It took a few hours of walking before they reached a dirt road. The entire trip Nick kept having the feeling that they were being watched. From the way Bobby kept looking around he had the same feeling. They had to pause from time to time to rest. Bobby hadn't realized just how heavy Dean was until he was dead weight.

The increasing light under the forest canopy did little to reduce their sense of unease. Still several feet away from the edge of the road, they carefully placed their burden on the dense moss. If something or someone was waiting for them, the duo wanted to make sure their hands were empty.

Just as Nick was about to step out to get an unobstructed view of the road, his pocket began to vibrate. In the middle of a German forest the fact that his cell phone was ringing seemed more than a little surreal. He glanced over his shoulder at the older man coming up behind him before Nick reached into the pocket and pulled it out. The call display didn't list who was calling but he decided to answer it anyway.

"Hello?" Nick said as he stood staring at Bobby. The ex-SEAL wasn't even aware that he was holding his breath.

"Nick? It's Tyler. I'm just up the road from you around a turn. Stay where you are and I will pick you up," a familiar voice stated. Even as he listened to the ear piece, Nick made out the sound of a car engine coming along the road. Then Tyler's car came careening toward them.

OOOO

"How did you know where we were?" Nick asked. He was in the front seat beside the Frankfurt Legacy member. Bobby and Dean had been crammed into the back. The old hunter was holding onto the younger man in a death grip. Now that he had one of the two brothers, he had no intention of letting him go. He'd climbed into the back and the other two men had carefully laid Dean's limp body against Bobby's.

"I've been following the GPS in your cell phone since we dropped you off. I figured you needed help once I saw that you were heading for the road," Tyler replied. He was driving carefully. The last thing they needed was to draw attention from the authorities or the lupins.

"Good call," Nick stated as he glanced over his shoulder into the back seat. Dean really needed a hospital. In the early morning sunlight, the right side of Dean's face was swollen. Even if he was awake, Nick doubted he could open that eye. The bite wounds had stopped bleeding easily enough but with all the moving around Nick didn't doubt that they'd reopened. Damn. Dean had been bitten. That means he was infected, right?

The same thought seemed to be playing through Bobby's mind. The hunter was examining the bite marks in daylight. Worry was etched into his lined face and darkened his blue eyes. The two men's eyes met over Dean's head.

"Where are we going?" Bobby asked as he tried to keep Dean together. The young hunter had lost a great deal of blood and had suffered a bad concussion. As scared as Bobby was for Dean, he was doubly worried about Sam.

"Back to the cottage," Tyler replied. He didn't even have to look at his two passengers to know what their reaction to that statement was. "The lupins have too many contacts in the area hospitals and medical clinics. If we take him there we ruin any chance we have to finding Sam. I assumed that as worried as you for his sake that you aren't willing to lose the other one."

"You're right about wanting to find Sam but I'm not willing to risk Dean's life either," Bobby stated. He looked down at Dean's face. His skin was slick with sweat, blood and dirt. It was cool and clammy to the touch. In Bobby's arms he could feel the smaller man trembling. He wasn't sure if it was from cold or shock. Unconsciously he held Dean just a little bit tighter.

Then Bobby noticed the blanket lying on the floor by his feet. He hooked it with one hand and wrapped it around Dean's lifeless body. The trembling didn't get any better but it also didn't get any worse. Bobby could feel his own shirt beginning to get soaked with Dean's blood. They needed to get some place, any place fast.

"The choice is yours. Jacob is still planning to go to the auction. It'll be your only chance to get inside while most of the guards are distracted by other guests," Tyler said as he carefully guided his vehicle toward the cottage. He knew the two men would make the right decision. Besides, Jacob was waiting there for them with reinforcements.

"I'm not willing to lose either of them," Nick said. Dean was the wise ass, pain in the ass one of the two but he couldn't choose between them. Damn he wished Derek was here.

"Me neither," Bobby admitted. Dean had begun to shift against him. He wasn't sure if it was because the pain was finally starting to register or if Dean was coming around. It was hard to tell when all he could really see was the top of Dean's head.

"That's kind of what I thought," Tyler said. He pulled into the lane leading to the cottage. If he hadn't known that Jacob was there, he would have thought the place was deserted. There were no cars outside and all the lights were turned off.

Pulling up in front of the door, Tyler and Nick climbed out. Tyler unlocked the front door before returning to the car. Tyler and Nick gently extracted Dean from Bobby's lap. Dean seemed smaller somehow as Nick helped Tyler carry him inside. Nick shook the thought away as the stepped inside, Bobby just a few steps behind them.

"What happened?" Jacob asked as he stood up from the comfortable chair. Even with Tyler in the way, Jacob could tell that the young man they were carrying was badly injured.

"They were hunting him," Nick replied. He and Tyler carefully situated Dean on the couch. "He needs a doctor."

"Well, I didn't bring a doctor but Nathan should be able to help anyway," Jacob stated. He indicated the blond man who had just come in from the kitchen. In his hands were various medical supplies. Without bothering to introduce himself, Nathan knelt down beside Dean and set to work. Everything he did was under the vulture like supervision of Bobby.

"He's been bitten," Nick stated. He saw Bobby glare at him out of the corner of his eye. He chose to ignore it.

Jacob stared at the young man sprawled on the couch. Once upon a time that statement would have been a death sentence for him but Jacob hadn't been sitting on his laurels the entire time he was Precept. Without a word, he pulled out his cell phone and dialled a number. Walking into the kitchen, he began a hushed conversation.

"What's he doing?" Bobby demanded, indicating Jacob with a nod of his head.

"I'm not sure," Tyler admitted as he looked at the direction his boss had taken. "Don't worry, he isn't turning him into the werewolf police."

"That' s not very funny," Nick said.

OOOOO

It felt like his entire body was on fire. Sam tried to find a more comfortable position only to discover that there wasn't any such thing. A low moan pushed its way from his lips. He could feel the straw prickling into his skin but that was only a minor annoyance. His muscles were tight and sore like he'd been working out for too long without doing a proper cool down.

"Dean?" Sam said his voice hoarse and barely more than a whisper. But he knew that if his big brother was within hearing range he would get to him no matter what. Silence was the only answer he received.

Even though it really didn't feel like his head was still attached to his body, Sam forced his eyes open. The cell was dark. He knew he was still in a cell because of the smell and feel of the straw and the dampness in the air. Ignoring the discomfort, Sam turned his head to scan the entire room. His stomach fell somewhere down near his ankles when he realized he was completely alone. Fear gnawed at his mind, making it harder to think straight.

Slowly, Sam forced his limbs to cooperate and climbed gingerly to his feet. The world swam around him, dipping drunkenly while he tried to keep his feet. Sam was forced to take a few steps before he could get his long legs under control. Then he was on his knees, retching. It felt like his stomach was trying to climb out of his body.

It took just about everything Sam had to keep from passing out as his stomach muscles convulsed. It kept going long after his stomach was completely empty. On shaking arms, Sam moved away from the mess he'd made and collapsed back on the straw. He wiped his arm across his mouth but there didn't seem to be any water to rinse out the foul taste with. His thoughts on his brother and what had happened to him, Sam slipped back into unconsciousness.

OOOOO

"Who were you talking to?" Nick demanded as soon as Jacob came back into the room. He could tell by the way Nathan was working that he knew what he was doing but it did little to appease the fear and anxiety burning through Nick's system.

"A friend," Jacob replied. He knew instantly that being evasive with the two Americans was a bad idea. "I have had a friend working on a serum to remove the werewolf virus from infected people. He is doing very well with it but having a freshly infected person will speed things along. The sooner Andrew gets here, the sooner he can help your friend."

"For someone who was supposed to let the werewolves do what they want, you've been working against them awfully hard," Bobby stated. He was still watching every move Nathan made. He could tell that the man probably had military medic training but he still didn't trust him with Dean. Hell, he didn't trust anyone with Dean except maybe Sam.

"How long until this auction?" Bobby said. He wasn't willing to leave Dean completely vulnerable and in the hands of strangers. That left Nick going with his Legacy compatriots to the auction to spring Sam. Well, at least to locate him Bobby hoped. Dean was moaning and flinching under Nathan's ministrations. While it drove the older man a little nuts he knew it was necessary. The bite marks were particularly nasty to try to clean and suture shut.

"Four hours. That should give Andrew more than enough time to get here and begin testing. I take it you are not planning to attend?" Jacob stated. Tyler was hovering in the background. He didn't want to get between his boss and the Americans. After all was said and done, he still had to work with Jacob when this was all over.

"No. I'm staying here with Dean. Nick will go with you," Bobby replied. He saw from the glance Nick gave him that the younger man was in agreement.

"Fine," Jacob said. "We'll leave in three hours."


	16. Chapter 16

_Hi! I'm really sorry for posting the wrong chapter the last time. That's what happens when you're writing more than one story and posting in a hurry. Well, that's my excuse anyway. I'll make sure this one is posted properly. Enjoy! Hopefully ;)_

_Susanne_

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

There was a gentle knock on the back door of the cottage. The sound was startling in the quiet of the interior and Nick barely managed to keep from jumping. His entire concentration was centered on the young man still sprawled on the couch. He and Bobby were doing a pretty good job of hovering. Luckily it didn't seem to bother Nathan as he continued to work on his young charge.

"Excuse me," Jacob said as he headed toward the rear door. Automatically Nick followed. He wanted to know who or what was waiting for them outside. It was somewhat anticlimactic, therefore, when Nick saw the tall, thin young man standing nervously on the door step.

"Hello, Andrew. Thanks for coming," Jacob said as he held the door open. Looking very young and very nervous, the stranger stepped inside, a large bag slung cross his body and over his shoulder. Nick thought they were called messenger bags but he wasn't sure.

"Sure, no problem," the young man said. He was probably Dean's height but the older Winchester probably had a good fifty pounds on him. Andrew had shaggy, dark brown hair and dark brown eyes from what Nick had seen. The young man was too busy staring at the floor most of the time for him to be sure. He was also very pale. Nick doubted that he spent much time at all outside.

"He's inside, Andrew," Jacob said as he basically ushered the slight man toward the living room. He knew that Andrew was much more comfortable with his research. He preferred to avoid most people whenever possible. Putting him in this situation was probably one of the hardest things the young man had done in a long time. At least, since he graduated from his last degree.

"How long has it been since he was bitten?" Andrew asked as he centered his mind on the problem before him. It was easier to think about people in abstracts, it kept them at a safe distance.

"He was bitten around seven o'clock this morning," Jacob stated. He moved out of Andrew's way so he could reach Dean. The young hunter was still unconscious, which was probably just as well. Nathan had checked his shoulder. Nick and Bobby had done a good job of resetting it so other than putting an ice pack on it there really wasn't anything else he could do for it. He'd patched up Dean's side and arm as best he could. The bite wounds were going to need surgery to make them look better cosmetically but at the moment the bleeding was stopped and the risk of bacterial infection was minimal.

Dean's head and leg were another matter. Under his fingers, Nathan could feel the bones grinding together ever so slightly. The side of Dean's face was badly swollen. It was almost so bad that Nathan had considered not stitching up the gashes. He knew that intracranial pressure could be building up but he had no intentions of drilling a hole through the man's skull. So far there had been so fluid in Dean's ears, eyes or nose indicating that the pressure had reached dangerous levels. Nathan hoped that their luck continued in that respect.

The damage to the right leg and ankle was extensive as well. Dean had pulled tendons and muscles when he'd tripped and by continuing to use it he'd increased the damage. He'd had to create a splint to keep the leg straight. Nathan had then wrapped it in tensor bandages and covered the ankle and knee with ice packs as well. He knew the packs were necessary but he covered the rest of Dean with thick, warm blankets. The last thing the boy needed was to slip into shock.

"Okay. I'll need to work quickly," Andrew stated as he knelt down beside Nathan, near Dean's upper body. He needed to get some blood samples to begin with. The rest of the samples would depend on what he found from there.

OOOOO

They'd given him another shot. Sam didn't have the convulsions that wracked his body anymore. Now his muscles just felt very, very tired. They'd also brought him more food and water. It had been a major accomplishment to eat even a quarter of what they gave him. It required too much effort and energy.

Collapsing back into his pile of straw, Sam pulled the bottles of water over to him. He wasn't about to lose those when his jailers came to take his plate away. He supposed that he should really be hoarding the food too in case he had the chance to escape. But escape would mean that he would no longer get the injections. Even though he wasn't real clear on what was going on, Sam knew they stopped whatever was happening.

Feeling despair swirling around him, Sam curled up as much into a ball as his protesting body would allow. The guards hadn't answered his questions about Dean. He didn't know if his brother was dead or alive. All he knew for sure was that Dean was gone. He didn't think his big brother was dead though, he felt sure that he would know if that were the case. At least he hoped so.

The cell door opened and the two guards entered. They'd entered one at a time, the lead one hiding the one behind him. Sam knew he was carrying something by the way he moved but he couldn't make out what it was for sure. The lead guard said something in German. Sam really wished he'd bothered to learn the language at this point. Wanting to be ready for anything, Sam uncurled his long frame and made as if to stand up.

An evil smile crossed the big man's lips. Then he stepped aside. The man behind him was holding a fire hose. With an equally evil smile, he opened the hose. Cold water struck Sam a physical blow, throwing him to the far wall of the cell. He held his hands out trying to deflect the spray of water but it was useless. Sam felt like he was drowning as the water forced its way up his nose and into his mouth and ears.

Beyond the sound of the water gushing by him, Sam heard the two guards laughing. Then the water turned off and Sam collapsed again to the floor. What little strength he'd had had evaporated until the assault. Gasping and sputtering to get the water out of his throat and lungs, Sam heard the guards moving toward him. They were still laughing as the stepped forward and grabbed hold of him.

Through his blurry eyes, Sam tried to protect himself as one of the guards pulled him to his feet. It was useless of course, the werewolves were so much stronger but he had to try. The second guard, still grinning, caught hold of the front of Sam's shirt and pulled it off, followed shortly by the rest of Sam's clothes. He tried to fight them. The last thing he wanted was to be any more vulnerable than he all ready was but it was like he was little more than an annoying fly buzzing around their ears.

The guards continued to speak in German while Sam struggled and they removed the last shred of dignity the youngest Winchester had managed to keep. Stepping back, the hose was turned on again and the water cascaded against his skin. It was then he realized what was going on. They were cleaning him up for something. Sam wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know what the something was as he struggled to keep from inhaling any more water.

OOOOO

The castle entrance was full to overflowing with vehicles and people. Nick had tried to argue the point that he should go into the castle alone so as to not be associated with the two Legacy members. He knew he might need some help getting out and if they were all captured there would be no cavalry coming. As was usual with Legacy Precepts, Jacob chose to ignore Nick's advice. All three men piled out of the car in front of the large, ornate doors leading to what Nick had assumed was a riding stable. Apparently he was wrong.

As they passed through the portal to the building, Nick was instantly reminded of pictures he'd seen of the slave trade of old. The other thing the building reminded him of was a hockey arena. All along the sides of the building, which stood two levels tall, were theatre type seats. They were separated by the large open area in the middle by Plexiglas inlaid with a thin wire mesh. Apparently the werewolves were worried about their slaves trying to escape. Nick didn't blame them. The center of the building was very much how Nick had imagined it, a dirt floor with large gates at the far end that seemed to descend beneath the floor.

His heart in his throat, Nick followed Tyler and Jacob to their seats. The place was packed with men, women and children. They all seemed to be very well dressed and the upper crust of German society. Well, not just German society, as Nick listened he heard several other languages being spoken. Where did they all come from, Nick wondered. Why didn't Derek and the other American Precepts not know about the werewolves and the half breeds? Nick couldn't believe that his friend and Precept had known about them and not done something about them. That just wasn't how Derek was wired.

It took several minutes for the seats to be filled. Nick's right knee was bouncing in an agitated way. He wanted to wait until this was all over and people were leaving before he tried to slip away. There had been an awful lot of guards floating through the crowd on the way in but he was hoping his military training would give him an added edge.

"Calm down, Nick," Jacob said from his right side. The German Legacy members had sat on either side of him. Nick assumed it was to keep him in place and under control. He didn't think they were going to have much luck with that but he was willing to play along for the moment.

OOOOO

The water was turned off and a rough towel was thrown at Sam. Clambering to his feet, Sam scooped up the towel and wrapped it around his waist. He was chilled to the bone but he was more worried about covering up. The two guards had seemed a little too interested in blasting him in the genitals with the water. Even now he felt naked and vulnerable. Sam's teeth chattered and his body trembled with the cold while he tried to stare down the two werewolves. The effect was ruined though by the wet bangs that was hanging in front of his blue-green eyes.

"What do you want?" Sam growled. He was getting really tired of this. He hated not being in control of his life and having to depend on others for the basics of survival. Such as food and water. He hated being vulnerable, period.

"Get dressed," the leader barked as he threw what looked like blue surgical scrubs at Sam. In his weakened state, Sam barely managed to keep them out of the water that was squishing mud up between his toes. The guards didn't bother to wait. They turned and left the cell with the shivering human behind.

Sam practically dove into the clothes. He couldn't remember even flimsy pieces of cloth like these ever feeling this good as he slipped the shirt over his head and threaded his arms through the sleeves. He hadn't bothered to dry his torso off. Getting covered seemed to be more important at the moment. Sam was somewhat relieved to find a pair of clean, blue boxers rolled up in the pants. The rough, starched material was hard on his freshly abraded skin. The water pressure of the hose had left his skin feeling almost sand blasted. He ignored it and concentrated on the glory of being covered up.

As soon as the clothes covered his shivering skin, Sam heard the door open again. As he pulled the drawstring on the pants tighter, he glanced up, fully expecting to see his two best friends. Instead there were four other guards standing there. Fear spiked through Sam's system. This was something different.

OOOOO

The first eight people that were up on the auction block were average in appearance. Nick felt like he had stepped through a time warp and was back in the Old South. The only problem was that so far they'd all been Caucasian. The very thought send a chill down his spine. On either side of him, the ex SEAL could feel the tension in the Frankfurt Legacy members. They were just as appalled by all of this as he was. Fortunately they were all perfectly capable of hiding their true emotions beneath a mask of civility.

Bile rose in Nick's throat when the eighth person, a young man of about eighteen, was given an injection. One of the buyers had asked to see him in his true form. Apparently just being beautiful when you were human wasn't enough. The young man fell to the ground in agony as his body twisted and contorted. The four guards that had been holding him had let go and stood back to give him room. Then his clothes shredded and huge, hair muscles burst.

What stood before them was a werewolf out of legend. His huge hind legs shook as he tried to regain his feet. Even then he was barely erect. Clearly his skeletal structure wasn't really intended to stand upright. It was a memory from being human that made him try. Then he collapsed onto his hands and feet.

"The bids will start at fifty thousand Euros," the werewolf running the auction called out. While the young man continued to struggle in his new form, the bidding continued.

"We need to find Sam," Nick breathed out the side of his mouth toward Jacob. He couldn't stand to watch any more of this. He was either going to be violently ill or start cracking heads. Personally he hoped for the latter of the two choices.

"Be patient. There will be more chance to slip inside when the auction is over and the buyers are trying to pick up their wares," Jacob stated. He knew it sounded cold but it was the truth. There was nothing he could currently do for any of these people. Hopefully by the time they get back to the cottage Andrew will have a cure. The one thing he did was to pocket the program that gave a brief description of each of the lots. He had every intention of finding these people and curing them when he could.

"Be patient?!!" Nick parroted back. His voice was full of the disgust and anger he felt percolating through his system. Not a good thing in an area with creatures with very good ears but he couldn't help himself.

The bidding had finished on the poor young man in the ring. He was still struggling to gain his feet when the guards picked him up and carried him out. The auctioneer was going through a description of the next person up for bid. Nick was only half listening. He didn't want to have to see one more person sold into a life of slavery. Curiosity got the best of him, however, and he glanced down into the ring.

"Oh my God," Nick breathed as he leaned forward in his seat. "That's Sam!"


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

"Sit down now," Jacob hissed out of the corner of his mouth. Nick had spoken too loud. Some of the auction patrons around there were turning to look at the Legacy members. None of them had kind expressions on their faces. In his shock, Nick had gained his feet and was leaning over the partition between their seats and the arena below.

When Nick didn't react, Tyler caught hold of his nearest arm and forced the smaller man back into his seat. He glanced over Nick's head at his boss. What were they going to do now? If the boy was sold there was no chance they'd be able to get him back without a fight with a werewolf. A pure blood. Not a happy thought.

The gears were turning in Jacob's head as well. He wasn't sure where they were going to go from here. He thought about bidding on the boy but that would look odd to anyone who knew who they were. What would a Legacy member want with a half breed werewolf? The only logical answer, research, would upset any of the werewolves he knew personally.

Nick couldn't tear his eyes off Sam. The younger man looked awful. His skin was pale, his hair matted with sweat and he was having trouble staying on his feet. Nick thought that Sam had lost a good twenty to thirty pounds since the last time he'd seen him and the young man couldn't afford to lose weight. Sam's head was down, his too long bangs hanging over his face, but Nick could still see the pronounced bones in his face.

Tyler was forced to keep a firm grip on Nick's arm. He kept trying to stand up again. His whole attention was on the boy. Instinctively, he wanted to go to Sam, to protect him from the hoard of werewolves and wannabes hanging out in the stables.

The bidding had started. Nick's skin was crawling as he watched Sam stand so completely detached from what was going on around him. While Nick was looking, Sam slowly brought his head up and glanced around at the audience. Fear and despair marred the young man's usually handsome face.

"I can't let this happen," Nick breathed as he tried to stand up again. He hadn't come this far to be this close to Sam only to lose him to the highest bidder. Angrily, he ripped his arm out of Tyler's grip and effortlessly vaulted the partition. This wasn't the smartest move but it was the only thing his addled brain could come up with.

The bystanders and the auctioneer were stunned by the move. The guards standing around Sam were not so easily disturbed. Automatically they moved to stand between the human and the slave. The one closest to Nick sneered at him. What kind of threat could this puny human be?

High on adrenaline, Nick knocked the first guard out with a single punch and then he was onto the next one. This one was better prepared but still fell beneath the furor of Nick's attack. He'd nearly reached a stunned, blinking Sam when the other two fell on him. Nick growled in frustration as too strong arms caught hold of him and hauled him off his feet. Before him, Sam stared at him, still blinking slowly. It was as if the young hunter didn't believe what he was seeing.

"Sam!" Nick called as he felt himself being lifted off the ground and blows began to land on his torso and head. Reaching out with his right arm, Nick caught hold of Sam's nearest arm and squeezed it. Then all Nick felt was pain as he was pummelled mercilessly. A sharp blow to his head and Nick fell into unconsciousness.

OOOOO

"You had no idea what his plans were?" Alexander Petersen demanded. The black haired man's face was dark with anger. The auction had collapsed into pandemonium after Nick attacked the guards. The senior werewolf insisted on the Legacy members, Jacob and Tyler, be brought to him. It had been a courtesy to extend an invitation to the Frankfurt Legacy Precept to the auction. Some of the Precepts had even enjoyed the whole process greatly but this was the first time Jacob had accepted. And then the person they brought with them ran rampant through their very well ordered, very well planned auction. He was furious.

"No. He is a visiting Legacy member from the United States. I had no idea that he knew anyone here," Jacob said. He and Tyler had been shown into Alexander's inner sanctum. At any other time Jacob would have liked to look around. The office was filled with antiques from every corner of the world. If the situation weren't so serious the Precept would have been very interested in the origins of the things that surrounded them.

"Why should we believe you?" one of the other two men demanded. Jacob recognized him as Karsten Hoffman. The blond man looked to be in his mid thirties but Jacob knew better. Karsten and the other man, Falco Werner, were pacing around the room, making Jacob very nervous.

All three werewolves were big. Even if they were simply human they would be considered large. All three were over six feet tall and probably weighed about two hundred and fifty pounds. The weight was all muscle. Jacob knew that he and Tyler were in real danger of losing their lives if they answered Alexander's questions wrong. Or if they lied. Werewolves had very good noses. They would smell the difference in him if he lied.

"Because I'm telling you the truth. I had no idea that Nick would know anyone that was being auctioned. It was a complete surprise to me, as I think it was to him," Jacob said. He tried to ignore the two werewolves pacing behind the chairs he and Tyler occupied in front of Alexander's ornate desk. The lead werewolf was sitting behind the desk, his elbows on the desktop and his fingers steepled beneath his chin. He was staring at the two humans intently with his dark, nearly black eyes. It was very disconcerting. "Where is Nick?"

"He is no longer your concern," Alexander stated.

"I have to tell his Precept something. Have you killed him?" Jacob saw again the unconscious Nick being hauled out of the arena, followed closely by a stumbling Sam. He had absolutely no idea if they would bother to keep Nick alive. He certainly hoped so. This was spirally out of Jacob's control. Why did Nick have to be so damned impulsive?

"He is no longer your concern," Alexander said again. The werewolf was completely calm, a sharp contrast to his two underlings. Tyler had the feeling that if it were up to them, he and Jacob would be quivering masses of meat on the floor by now.

"You will never come back here," Alexander said as he placed his hands against the top of the desk and stood up. "You can tell his Precept anything you want. You will never see that man again."

Without waiting for a response from Jacob, Alexander nodded to his companions and the two humans were quickly escorted to their car. All thought of arguing the point was left behind. Nick had gotten himself into this mess. It was going to be up to him to get himself out of it. There was nothing Jacob could do at this point that would not endanger his own house. That was going to have to be his first concern. With a heavy heart, Jacob drove out of the castle.

"We're not going to just leave him there, are we?" Tyler asked. He had the feeling he all ready knew the answer but he had to hear it out loud for it to be real.

"I don't see as we have any choice. Once we get back to the House I will try to contact Derek. He may have an idea of where to go from here," Jacob responded. He tried not to think about what was going to happen to Nick as he watched the castle disappear in the rear view mirror.

OOOOO

What is taking them so long? Bobby wondered. He was getting tired of watching Andrew. The young man was driving him nuts. He kept going out the back door to a motor home he had parked back there. The first time Bobby had followed him because he wanted to make sure what was going on. He was somewhat surprised by the array of equipment the young man had crammed into the thing. Bobby only hoped he was actually accomplishing something.

A sound from the couch drew Bobby's attention. Dean hadn't woken up since they'd found him. This concerned Bobby. He really hated to stare at the young man while he slept. He looked to damned young and innocent. Things Dean hadn't been in some time.

Looking at Dean's face, Bobby realized he must be having a nightmare. A thin sheen of sweat had broken out on his forehead. There were lines of pain in the corners of his eyes and mouth. His breath came out in small gasps as he began to shift around on the couch.

"Dean," Bobby said as he knelt down beside the couch. "It's okay, you're safe."

"Sam?" the word was barely a whisper as Dean continued to shift around. It was as if he couldn't find a comfortable position on the soft cushions.

"He's not here," Bobby admitted. He couldn't lie to the kid. Unconsciously, his hand moved up to run across Dean's forehead. It was a move he'd seen John use when his eldest had trouble sleeping. It had worked when he was seven years old, it should work now.

The boy was trembling like a leaf. Bobby considered calling to Andrew out in his vehicle. This was getting way over his head. Then Dean's body convulsed, his back arching off the cushions as a muffled scream was forced between clenched teeth.

"Whoa, whoa, take it easy," Bobby tried to comfort the younger man. Dean's face was twisted in a grimace as the convulsion continued. Under Bobby's watchful eyes, Dean's lips began to take on a bluish tinge. His arms and legs were stiff as the convulsion rode his body.

"Dean! Breathe!" Bobby said as he gripped Dean by the shoulders and gave them a shake. It was the only thing he could think to do. Under his hands, Dean's body went completely lax and he sucked air like it was going out of style.

"That's better, now just take it easy," Bobby said. He knew he was repeating himself but it was all that came to mind. The trembling had returned. Along with it came small gasps of pain. At a complete lose, Bobby sat Dean up and slipped underneath him. Then he pulled Dean's shaking frame against his own and held on for dear life.


	18. Chapter 18

_Hi!!! Thank you as always to masondixon, sammygirl1963, REK222GO, and eggylaine for your reviews. Your continued support means so much to me! _

_This chapter is a little shorter but I hope you enjoy it anyway._

_Thank you to everyone reading this story. I'm glad I'm not the only one enjoying it._

_Susanne_

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Nick had the feeling that he was moving but he had absolutely no control over his body. The blows had knocked him out for a few minutes but he was still being carried by his arms and legs when he finally came back. He decided to pretend that he was still unconscious. Maybe he'd learn something.

"Who the hell is he?" a gravelly voice demanded.

"He's a friend," a very defeated Sam spoke softly. Nick could hear the tall young man shuffling along beyond him. Well, this wasn't a very well thought out plan, was it? Nick was mentally kicking himself. He should have had a plan. Derek would have had one. But he just couldn't watch his friend be sold like a piece of meat.

"You have Legacy friends? I'm impressed," the voice grated. Sam grunted as he was propelled forward into the cell he'd shared with Dean. Nick was unceremoniously dumped on the straw. "Your friend is going t regret ever knowing you."

Nick didn't like the sound of that. His eyes flew open and he tried to gain an upright position. His body protested by he managed it. Before him were four large werewolves. Sam was gripped tightly by the leading two.

"Let him go," Nick growled. He wasn't really a threat to the much larger men but he wasn't willing to just watch if they were planning on hurting Sam. The kid looked awful enough as it was.

"Don't worry. I plan to," the gravelly voiced werewolf at the back stated. Stepping forward, he jabbed a needle into Sam's nearest shoulder and depressed the plunger at the end of the syringe. "Good night."

The four werewolves left the room, snickering. Nick really didn't like the sound of that. All he really cared about at the moment though, was making sure Sam was okay. Once the door was closed he stepped forward and gripped the wilting young man by the shoulders.

"Sam, are you all right?" Nick asked. He stared intently at Sam's dark, blue-green eyes. He saw pain and misery there. It frightened him.

"No. What the hell are you doing here?" Sam breathed. His hands were resting on the shorter man's shoulders in an attempt to stay upright. He was weak as a kitten. His muscles were trembling with fatigue. And now his stomach was starting to do flips. For a moment Sam thought that he might be imagining the older man's presence. Holding Nick by the arms helped to ground him.

"I came looking for you and Dean," Nick stated. His head was pounding in time to his heartbeat and he could feel numerous bruises beginning to spring up but he ignored them. All that mattered was that Sam was here and alive.

"I don't feel very good," Sam stated rather forlornly as his long legs began to buckle underneath him. Nick had to rush to catch him. Tenderly, he moved Sam toward the far corner of the room. He wanted to make sure that he had as much warning as possible if anyone came in.

"Where's Dean?" Sam asked. His thinking was becoming muddled. He could feel the now familiar sensation of his muscles beginning to stretch. Apparently his captors not only had the ability to stop the change but to cause it as well.

"He's with Bobby," Nick hedged. He didn't want to worry the young man with the details of his brother's injuries. Sam was shaking like a leaf. Nick sat him down and knelt in front of him. Concern for the younger man was making him very nervous. He'd seen what had happened to the young man in the arena. He wasn't naive enough to think Sam wasn't a half breed werewolf. Otherwise they wouldn't have been trying to sell him. Fear and anxiety gnawed at his stomach and mind. This wasn't good.

"You'd better get away from me," Sam warned. He was losing control of his logical mind. It was terrifying as reason slowly began to evaporate. Sam grunted as his body began to convulse.

"Sam?" Nick said. He'd just found the youngest Winchester. He wasn't ready to back off, especially as the grunts turned to a muffled scream. Sam was bent almost in half while he rode the waves of pain rippling through his body. Nick tried to touch the young man, to comfort him as best he could.

With a shout, Sam pushed Nick away from him. The smaller man skidded several feet before he came to a complete stop. The force of the blow had knocked the wind out of him so it took Nick a moment or two to recover. By that time Sam had rolled onto his side, his back toward his friend, as his tall frame curled into a fetal position.

As Nick watched from a safe distance, Sam's body convulsed as his arms and legs began to take a different shape. Bile rose in Nick's throat as he stood by helplessly to watch his friend contort and scream as his body took on the shape of a werewolf.

"Sam!" Nick cried as the younger man's body seemed to bend and bet bigger. From where Nick was he couldn't see Sam's head or face. All that was visible was Sam's back as the bones underneath his skin shifted. Then Sam brought his head up. Instead of chestnut brown hair, it was covered by coarse, dense fur. Tilting his head back, a loud, deep howl burst forth. "Sam!"

OOOOO

The inside of the car was silent as the two Legacy members drove back to town. As they travelled down the long, deserted section of road, Tyler noticed a black vehicle parked on the shoulder. It appeared to be empty as they passed by but he couldn't be sure. By the time they were a mile down the road, he'd forgotten about it. There were more pressing things on his mind.

Their passage didn't go unnoticed by the man sitting inside the vehicle. He was a tall man with very close cropped dark hair and bright blue eyes. He was talking on a satellite phone. What he'd just witnessed had disturbed him more than any of the other experiences he'd ever had. That was saying something considering what kind of experiences he'd all ready had in his thirty years.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so," the man said into the mouth piece. He could feel concern coming through the line. Absently, the man ran his left hand over his scalp. It all still seemed a little too surreal. He should be more accustomed to the strange things that could happen when he got involved with these people but it still shocked him.

"It's pretty heavily guarded but I think I've found a weakness," he said. He spent several minutes listening. "All right, I'll meet you at the air port in three hours."

Snapping his phone shut, the man put it in his pocket, turned over the truck's ignition and headed out.

OOOOO

Bobby wasn't sure if young Dean was going to survive. The convulsions were getting worst and more frequent. He was holding Dean against his chest as hard as he could. It felt pretty damned weird. Bobby thought of the Winchesters as his surrogate kids. But in all the times he'd come to their aid it was very seldom that he'd had to do more than just patch them up.

It killed him to see Dean in such pain. The boy was trembling like a leaf in a high breeze. He was soaked through with sweat and his eyes were shut. His breathing was erratic and shallow. Against his body, Bobby could feel Dean's muscles clenching and releasing.

"I think I'm getting close," Andrew stated. He'd been busy in his mobile lab running every test imaginable and trying various options. He was getting promising results from using virology. It wasn't at the stage where he could try it yet but it was very close. Looking at Dean, he stopped dead in his tracks. Suddenly the whole process was no longer theoretical. Suddenly it was all too real.

"Close isn't good enough," Bobby growled. "He's dying."


	19. Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

"That may be true," Andrew responded once he found his voice again. "But if I don't do this right, the serum will certainly kill him. I'm working as fast as I can."

"Then what are you doing in here?" Bobby barked. Dean was getting harder to hold, the trembling had turned to shuddering. He was still unconscious, for which Bobby was grateful, but his body seemed to have a mind of its own.

"I was looking for Jacob. I need some reagents," Andrew said. His eyes were getting bigger in his head while he stared at Dean. While he watched, Dean's fingers began to curl in on themselves. Swallowing hard, Andrew retreated back to his lab.

"Hang on, kid. Don't you give up on us yet," Bobby breathed into Dean's ear.

The door to the cottage opened and Jacob and Tyler stepped inside. Bobby eased the hand gun he'd palmed back under the cushion of the couch that he was sitting on. He wasn't taking the chance that the werewolves wanted Dean back. They were going to have to kill the old hunter before he'd let that happen.

"Where's Nick?" Bobby demanded. He could see from the two men's faces that whatever had happened hadn't been good. Damn it, he knew he should have gone with the idjit kid!

"There was a problem at the auction," Jacob stated as he slowly moved over to the comfortable chair. Gratefully he sank down into its confines. He suddenly felt much older than he actually was.

"What kind of problem?" Bobby hated getting half truths. He just wanted them to spill the beans. Something bad had happened. It didn't take a genius to figure that out.

"While we were watching, waiting for the auction to end so Nick could try to sneak inside, they brought out Sam," Tyler admitted. He glanced at his boss. They hadn't discussed what had happened. It all seemed unreal somehow.

"What?!" Bobby knew things were bad but that wasn't something he was expecting. "They were trying to sell Sam?"

"Yes," Jacob said. He wiped his hands over his face. All the way here he'd been trying to come up with a solution. He'd arrived without making any progress. "He's been infected too. They were going to sell him to the highest bidder, same as the others. Mr. Boyle attacked the guards and they were both taken away. The last time we saw them, Nick and Sam were being led down into the warrens of the castle."

A string of curses erupted from Bobby that would have made a sailor blush. If he hadn't been holding Dean, he would have been pacing around the cottage, running his hands through his hair in aggravation. What the hell else could go wrong?

As if in answer, Dean's body arched and a strangled scream was pulled from his throat. His face was contorted in pain. His hands were uncurled again but grasping at the air, as if trying to grasp something that was solid, to ground him in this world.

OOOOO

The air port was noisy but he was used to that. Casually, he stood outside the appropriate gate, waiting for Derek Rayne to debark. He'd done as much recognisance as he could during the time that had been available to him.

The tall, salt and pepper haired man was easy to pick out of the crowd of people walking down the hallway toward the gate. Relief flooded through the man. If anyone could make sense of this it was the San Francisco house Precept.

"Derek!" he called out to get the older man's attention. A smile crept across Derek's face upon seeing the younger man. When he couldn't have Nick to cover his back, this young man would do.

"Hello, Mr. Brown. How are we doing?" Derek asked. He had an overnight bag slung over his shoulder. It appeared to be all the luggage he had because Derek was all ready making a B-line for the exit.

"I think I can get us into the castle but there are no blue prints of the below ground warrens. The castle is centuries old, there could be multiple exits out into the woods or the sides of the hills," Bob Brown, Unit member, US Ranger replied. He'd just been finishing a job here in Europe when he got a random phone call from Derek.

The two men had stayed in touch since the incident with the demons. Bob wasn't willing to bury his head in the sand like some of the other Unit members had. He had recovered quickly from the injuries he's suffered during that incident. For that he was thankful. All his life he'd known that he wanted to be in the Forces and the Unit was the ultimate goal. If he hadn't healed, he would have had to retire and move into a different position.

"Tell me again what you saw," Derek stated. He'd been on the scent of the werewolves in Germany since coming to Europe for a series of Legacy meetings. How Nick got tangled up with this was beyond him. He looked forward to hearing the explanation, once this was all over and done with.

All the way back to where Bob had parked his truck, he filled the older man in. Bob was grateful that Derek had sent him to spy on the auction. Otherwise they wouldn't know what had transpired. The thought of Nick and Sam being in the clutches of these creatures sent shivers through his body. And he'd thought demons were scary.

OOOOO

There was the subtle sense of flight followed by the real sense of his back and right side smashing into the wall. Nick was momentarily stunned by the impact. While he tried to recover, the beast that was Sam came charging toward him. Before Nick could react, he was flying again. This time his head hit the stone wall as well and he slipped into unconsciousness.

Once the prey was completely still, it became much less interesting. Howling in frustration, Sam/the creature began to pace around the cell. Whenever he came to the heap of flesh that was Nick, he'd randomly kick at it. The hope was that it would start moving again.

Rage burned through Sam's mind and body. It wasn't directed at anything in particular, it was just there, burning along his nerve endings. It made it really hard to think about anything else. The only thing that made it retreat into the background was the violence he'd done to his cell mate.

Howling again in frustration, Sam continued to pace, expending the excess energy that was coursing through his veins. The longer he paced, the better he was beginning to think. Sam's eyes were drawn to the heap on the floor. Snarling, he continued to pace.

A low moan escaped from Nick's lips as consciousness came back slowly. His side was on fire and so was his head. His lip was split and blood was running down his chin. But what hurt the most was the memory of looking into Sam's blue-green eyes and seeing absolutely no recognition.

The sound caught Sam's attention. Still pacing, his huge head swivelling back and forth on his broad shoulders, he gazed down at the heap again. The blood leaking from its wounds smelled so tantalizing. It took every ounce of human will left in the creature to keep from pouncing on Nick and rending him limb from limb.

Nick kept his eyes closed but he knew that Sam was nearby. He could hear the snuffling as Sam moved along the far wall. He appeared to be sniffing at the structure, trying to find something. Nick hated not knowing exactly what was going on behind him. He was currently lying with his forehead against the wall and his back toward the center of the cell. He had landed curled almost in a fetal position. He felt incredibly vulnerable but he didn't dare move.

The footsteps behind Nick gradually began to decrease. The breathing slowed down and became shallower. Nick's back itched. He really hated baring it to a potential enemy. It killed him to think of young Sam as an enemy but he didn't have a choice at the moment.

"Nick?" a weak, scared voice said from behind him. Carefully, Nick began to uncurl and roll over. He ignored the pain that flashed through his side and head and turned to face Sam. The young man had turned back. He was standing in rags on shaking legs. "What are you doing here?"

Relief flooded through Nick as he forced his protesting body to an upright position. The cell swam around him as he tried to cross the distance between them. Sam seemed to have similar difficulties as he too tried to reach Nick. Halfway there, Nick's legs too gave up the ghost. Sam managed to keep Nick from tumbling to the floor but only just.

The two of them sank to the straw on the ground. Sam couldn't believe his eyes. What the hell was Nick doing here? It felt like he was thinking clearly for the first time in weeks. He held the smaller man close. They were both shaking like leaves but Sam had the feeling it was for different reasons. He felt tired beyond imagining and cold now that his clothes had been ravaged during the transformation.

"I'm here to rescue you," Nick stated, a lop sided, wan grin on his face. Then consciousness slipped away again and he went lax in the younger man's arms.

_**Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Unit' or any of its characters. They belong to the people who hold the copyrights and the actors who play the parts. **_

_**A/N: I needed someone big and tough who'd been through this kind of crap before. Dean was a little big busy so I had to improvise. I hope you approve.**_

_**I waited for the end of the chapter to include the disclaimer because I didn't want to ruin the suspense of who the guy in the truck was. **_

_**I hope you enjoyed this, I had fun writing it. I'm a sick puppy, what can I say?**_

_**Susanne**_


	20. Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

"Where should we start?" Bob asked. He was piloting the vehicle through the now familiar streets. The Legacy Precept was in the passenger seat, a pensive look on his face.

"Let's get Nick and Sam out of the castle. We'll have to deal with the infection on the run," Derek stated. He had spent the last few minutes running through all the possibilities in his mind. None of them were particularly pleasing. The only thing that decided going to the castle was the fact that Derek couldn't stomach leaving his security specialist and friend at the hands of the werewolves.

"Can we deal with the infection on the run?" Bob wondered out loud. He'd seen the young man in the arena turn into a werewolf. He had the feeling he was going to have nightmares about that for years to come. Even now, while he thought about it a chill ran down his spine.

"I'm not sure but leaving Nick and Sam to the werewolves' tender mercies isn't an option," Derek said. From the information Bob had given him, Derek knew that the Frankfurt house Precept was involved in this. How he and Nick had wound up at the auction together was a mystery. Whether the Legacy Elders knew of the werewolves was also a mystery. The Elders had learned very quickly to not tell Derek things that went against his sense of morals. If Derek thought it was wrong, he'd stop at nothing to right that wrong.

"The castle it is," Bob said as he adjusted their course. This was going to be interesting.

OOOOO

It took Sam a full minute to figure out how to respond to Nick losing consciousness. So much for his mind working better he decided as he carefully picked Nick up and moved him to the far corner of the room. As gently as he could manage, Sam laid Nick out on the straw and did a quick examination.

The ribs along Nick's right side creaked under his fingers and Nick moaned when he pressed too hard. Sam thought that at least two of them were broken. When he pulled Nick's shirt up he found a large red area spreading from the right side of his stomach all the way around nearly to his spine. Cautiously Sam palpated Nick's stomach and side to look for internal injuries.

Under Sam's fingers Nick's muscles twitched while a low moan escaped through clenched teeth. As Sam continued his examination the moan changed to a whimper as Nick unconsciously tried to move away from the pain he was causing. Sam was forced to hold the smaller man down.

"Sorry," Sam apologized quietly. There didn't seem to be anything he could do for Nick at the moment so he wiped the blood off Nick's chin with a piece of what was left of his shirt. Then he held the rag against the split lip, hoping to stop the bleeding.

Now that the adrenaline from finding Nick was wearing off, Sam was quickly tiring. His own muscles were starting to tremble with fatigue and his eyes kept trying to close on him. The last thing Sam wanted to do while Nick was unconscious was sleep but his body had other ideas. Within a few minutes Sam was curled up against Nick's back, his arm thrown protectively over him, sound asleep.

OOOOO

"Okay," Andrew said, his voice sounding less than confident. "I think I'm ready to try this."

"You think?!" Bobby growled. He knew they had to help Dean but he wasn't so sure that this scrawny kid was the best option. The kid held a syringe filled with an iridescent blue fluid in his hand. While Bobby watched, Andrew's hand shook ever so slightly. Great. "I need to have better than 'I think' before I let you start injecting that shit into Dean."

"I understand your concerns," Jacob said in defence of the young scientist. "But Andrew really is the best person for the job. If he thinks it'll work there's a very good chance that it will."

"A very good chance? That really instils confidence," Bobby growled. He pulled Dean a little bit closer. They were going to have to do it over his dead body. Hugging Dean to his chest felt like holding a furnace. The kid had developed a fever in the last hour. The sweat pouring off his body was soaking into Bobby's plaid shirt and jeans. Dean was breathing quickly through his open mouth but was still unconscious. His head lolled loosely on his neck and rested against Bobby's shoulder.

"We could wait until after he turns to see if it works but I think that might be a little harder to administer then," Andrew stated. For the first time the tall, thin young man was demonstrating a little backbone. "I wouldn't suggest using this if I thought it might do any permanent damage."

Bobby considered continuing to argue the point. Then Dean stiffened in his grasp. His back arched away from Bobby's body and his face contorted as if he was screaming but no sound came out. Before the old hunter had the chance to make a decision, Andrew stepped forward and jabbed the needle through Dean's jeans and into his right thigh. The liquid disappeared into Dean's flesh.

"What the hell!" Bobby growled. If his hands weren't full with trying to keep Dean on the couch he would have slugged the kid. As the liquid made its way into Dean's body a scream was ripped from his mouth and then he went completely limp.

With a look that could kill, Bobby glared at the young scientist who was beating a hasty retreat to his motor home. "If Dean dies that kid is next," Bobby stated with all seriousness. He glanced at the two Legacy members before slipping out from under Dean.

His clothes sticking to his body, Bobby went to the kitchen and filled a basin with warm water. On his way back to the couch he commandeered a towel and face cloth. This was going to be incredibly uncomfortable for him but Dean really needed to get a layer or two of sweat off. The kid was starting to smell bad.

"Go do whatever it is you do," Bobby grumbled. "I want to do this myself."

Not wanting to upset the older man any more than they all ready had, Jacob and Tyler quickly departed. They weren't entirely sure what to do once they got back to the Legacy house but sleep might be an option.

OOOOO

"You've got to be kidding," Derek said. He was looking down into what amounted to a crack in the earth. It was probably wide enough for both men to just slip through but then it seemed to go on forever. This didn't seem like a very good plan.

"I've been inside twice all ready," Bob reassured the older man. He had the harnesses and ropes all ready set up from his last two descents. "I'll lower you down. There's a ledge on the side of the cliff about a hundred feet down. Once you reach that pull on the rope twice and I'll repel down."

It had all sounded so easy. Derek was scared out of his mind by the time he felt his feet land on something solid. Visions of the rope separating, sending him falling endlessly down into the darkness kept playing through his mind. Panning the flash light that had been secure in his pocket during the descent, around, Derek found that he was in fact standing on a ledge that seemed to lead downward. He pulled on the rope still attached to his harness twice as Bob had instructed.

"You do know where you're taking us, don't you?" Derek said as the taller man landed on the ledge beside him. The whole thing reminded Derek of a scene out of 'Lord of the Rings' when they were in the mines of Moria.

"Would you quit worrying? The only thing I'm not sure of is where exactly they're keeping Sam and Nick. That should be the easy part," Bob stated. He only hoped he was telling the truth.

"I don't think there's going to be any easy parts to this little escapade," Derek stated as he pulled the harness off and began following Bob down the ledge into the darkness beyond.

"Just remember to keep your voice down. I have no idea how far sounds travel down here but I don't plan on becoming a dog treat," Bob said over his shoulder. He hadn't turned a flashlight on because the beam could be seen for too far. The ledge was three feet wide and descended at a ten degree angle. Short of tripping over their own feet they should be able to reach the bottom without incident.

OOOOO

The pain was intense. Nick tried to lick his lips but his tongue was dry as sandpaper and his lip was swollen to nearly twice its original size. It was then that he realized that someone had an arm draped across him. The arm was too long and too muscular to be a woman. That wasn't a good sign.

With a grunt, Nick forced his protesting body to sit up. Blinking in the half light, Nick realized that the person he was about to beat the crap out of was Sam. Relieved beyond words, Nick suddenly felt the damage to his body. Bile rose up in his throat as his ribs barked in agony. He managed to roll away from Sam just far enough to bring out everything he'd eaten in the last week.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked. He'd felt Nick move and then heard him retching not that far away. With a groan, Sam sat up. His muscles were stiff and tired. It was becoming an all too familiar sensation. He just wished he could remember what happened to him to cause him to feel this way.

"Yeah," Nick breathed. He was on all fours spitting bile into the straw. Finally finished, Nick sat back on his haunches and ran his sleeve over his mouth. Exhaustion was settling over his body. Not bothering to stand up, Nick crawled back to the corner. Under normal circumstances there was no way Nick would allow anyone to put him in the corner. It went against his very nature. But today, with fire burning through his side with every breath and a headache the size of Canada, he knew he wasn't up to snuff.

"So," Sam said, trying to hide a smile. "When exactly does this rescue plan of yours take effect?"


	21. Chapter 21

_Hi! I felt I needed to explain why this was taking so long to write when compared with my other story "The Collection". Well, this one is just a little harder to write at the moment while the other one is flowing out like a river. No idea why. Maybe I'm just a very sick person!_

_Just so you know, I couldn't help myself and threw two characters in my Criminal Minds story that have a striking resemblance to Dean and Sam Winchester. I named them Dave and Jared. Yeah, I know, not very imaginative but there you have it. Anyway, they aren't central characters but Sam does get kidnapped by a severely, mentally ill woman. Bad things ensue. Dean, I mean Dave, then gets to spend the rest of the story trying to save Sam, I mean Jared. Yeah, it gets confusing. _

_If you have to time and inclination you might want to check "The Collection" out. Jared and Dave show up about the third chapter. I think._

_Bye for now! I hope to get the next chapter done much quicker than this one came to me. I hope._

_Bye for now._

_Susanne_

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

The cleft led to a large opening. Through the opening, Derek could see a fast paced underground river. It was narrow with a four foot edge on either side. Without bothering to explain, Bob hopped over the river and turned to his left.

He'd always considered himself to be in good shape but trying to keep up with Bob proved Derek wrong. The younger man's pace ate up the ground as if he were running. It took almost everything he had to not be left behind.

"How much farther is it?" Derek huffed. He kept his voice low because he wasn't sure how far sound would travel.

"Why? Are you getting tired?" Bob said over his shoulder. Derek could almost see the smirk on the younger man's face. "Just another couple hundred feet and then we'll come on the tunnels. The castle uses this as their water source so there are lots of tunnels with pipes running through them."

"I won't have to climb on these pipes, will I?" Derek asked. The last thing he wanted to do was to prove to the younger man just how graceless he could be.

"Only if you want to," Bob replied. He'd heard the breathless nature of Derek's speech. Consciously he slowed his pace. It wasn't going to do Nick or Sam any good if they found them and then had to take a break to catch their breath.

OOOOO

"Dean is down here somewhere," Sam stated into the air. Nick was still huddled in the corner of the cell but Sam could tell that he was awake. Worry for his older brother had finally bubbled to the surface. It had been there all along but Sam had been a little too busy to deal with it.

"No, he's not," Nick replied. He didn't bother to move. He'd finally found a position that didn't aggravate his ribs. "Bobby and I found him out in the woods. Bobby's taking care of him right now."

"Is he okay?" Sam asked. Worrying at his conscious mind was concern for his brother. He knew something wasn't right, he could feel it.

"He got beaten up pretty badly but I don't think anything is life threatening," Nick replied. He wasn't telling the younger man the whole truth. The last thing he needed was for Sam to be worried about his brother. Frantic would have been a more accurate world. "I wouldn't have left him if I thought he was in trouble."

Relief pulsed through Sam's body. He trusted Nick to tell him the truth. The cell didn't seem quite so close all of a sudden.

The door to the cell opened up. Before either man had a chance to react, four of the werewolves stepped in. Two of them were carrying trays. Talking amongst themselves in German, the tray bearers set them down on the straw floor and then all four of them turned and left. As they pulled the door closed behind them, Nick and Sam could hear them laughing. Somehow that didn't seem like a good sign.

Retrieving the trays, Sam brought both of them over to where Nick had sat up. The older man had a decided lean toward his injured side. Just sitting up had drained all the color from his face. Setting down the trays, Sam picked up one of the six water bottles and cracked it open. "Here," Sam said as he offered it to Nick.

"Thanks," Nick said as he accepted the bottle and downed nearly half of it before putting it down. Whether the water was drugged or not, he didn't care water had never tasted so good.

Quietly the two men began to eat their meal in silence. Each of them lost in their own worlds, trying to figure w way out.

OOOOO

The kid was as clean as Bobby was going to get him. Dean certainly smelled better, that musky, sweaty scent was gone. Bobby had even rolled Dean out of the way long enough to put a sheet under him. The old hunter wanted to keep him as clean as he could. It was the last thing the kid needed, to develop an infection.

Bobby had stripped him down to his boxers in order to get at as much body surface as possible. Lying there on the couch, the kid suddenly looked so very young. Squashing that thought, Bobby went to the kitchen and came back with some chicken noodle soup he'd heated up in the microwave.

"You'd better eat all of this, Dean," Bobby muttered. He put the soup down on the table long enough to prop Dean up so he wouldn't choke. "I don't want all this effort to go to waste."

"Sam?" Dean breathed. He shifted around a little, trying to get comfortable in the too hard couch. He was finally starting to come around but then the drug pulled him back down.

"It's okay, Dean. We'll find Sam," Bobby reassured the younger man as he started spooning broth into his mouth.

OOOOO

The tunnels were right where Bob had said they'd be. For which Derek was eternally grateful. The tunnels weren't overly wide but they were wide enough for workers to move about when repairs were needed on the water system.

Bob led the San Francisco Precept through the tunnels until they reached what amounted to a large metal grate. The grate was locked from the other side. Slipping his hands through two sections of the grate, Bob proceeded to pick the padlock.

"I guess you need to use that skill a lot in your line of work," Derek stated. "Nick too has developed the proficiency."

Bob didn't bother to respond as he pulled the padlock out of the chain and let them both fall to the dirt. As quietly as he could manage with the creaky old hinges, Bob pulled the grate open. Scanning the immediate area, Bob then stepped out into the tunnel beyond.

Once they were both through, Bob pushed the grate shut again and made it look like it was locked. He'd only gone this far once before. Bob chose a direction somewhat arbitrarily. If it turned out to be the wrong one, he would turn around and try the other one.

OOOOO

Half an hour after taking the first turn, Bob and Derek found themselves in a tunnel lined with wooden doors. The first six of them they looked into were completely empty. It wasn't until the seventh one that Derek saw the two huddled shapes.

He glanced over at Bob who was checking the next cell. The Unit member padded back to him and looked through the small window. Silently, Bob pulled out his lock pick tools and began to work on the lock. He trusted the older man to watch his back while he worked. It was hard to stand still knowing that Nick and Sam were so close. At least he hoped they were. With their backs towards the door, it was hard to make sure who it was exactly.

"Nick?" Bob breathed through the window as he worked. Despite popular belief, the older locks were not necessarily easier to pick.

At first there was no reaction. Then the closest figure rolled over to face the door. It took Bob a second to recognize Sam. The kid was somewhat grubby and looked like he'd lost about thirty pounds. Relief flowed through him. One final twist and the lock opened.

A quick glance at Derek to make sure the older man was still keeping watch, Bob stepped inside the cell. The first thing that assailed his senses was the thick scent of straw, that and the pungent smell of urine. Apparently the werewolves hadn't bothered to give the occupants even a bucket to use. Scrunching up his nose, Bob made his way toward Sam who was struggling to his feet.

"We have to move quickly. Can you walk?" Bob asked. Nick had carefully rolled over. It didn't take a genius to figure out the smaller man was in a lot of pain. He was the weak link.

"With a little help," Sam said. He was going to get out of here if he had to crawl. He turned to look at Nick. He was trying to reach his feet but his ribs kept bringing him up short. Gently, Sam reached down, caught his arm and pulled the smaller man to his feet. Nick teetered and his white face turned virtually translucent but through sheer force of will, he managed to stay on his feet.

"Derek?" Nick breathed. He wiped a hand across his eyes. Surely he was delirious and seeing things. Bob too, would be a hallucination. It was the only explanation. His knees got even weaker.

"What have you gotten into while I was gone?" Derek asked, only half joking. He stepped up to his security expert and first pulled him into a quick but fierce hug and then pulled him against his side. All ready Nick was beginning to sway with exhaustion and pain. Not for the first time Derek was thankful that Nick was somewhat smaller in stature than he was. It made moving him that much easier. "Let's get the hell out of here."


	22. Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

It was easier said than done. Sam towered over even Bob making it hard for the Unit member to help him move. Still, Bob pulled the lanky young man against his side and tried to help him take one step and then another. Within a few feet, Sam was becoming somewhat uncoordinated, as if his limbs were very tired. The further they moved, the more Sam was forced to lean against the older man.

As hard as Nick tried to get to his feet and stay there, it only lasted for a few minutes before his knees gave way. That left Derek trying to keep him ambulatory. Derek pulled the smaller man's arm up over his shoulder and tried to take most of his weight, which really wasn't much. Nick tried to not react to the stress on his injuries but breathing was becoming difficult.

On top of that they were trying to move as silently as they could. There was one thing they all knew about werewolves, they would have incredible hearing. Within ten yards of the cell entrance, Nick was starting to pant, which killed them keeping things quiet. He was deeply embarrassed but the other option was not breathing enough and passing out from lack of oxygen. At the moment he wasn't sure which would be worse.

It was absolutely driving Nick crazy that he wasn't able to do this on his own. He was too used to being in complete control of his mind and body. The fact that he was having trouble putting one foot in front of the other was humiliating. Sweat ran down his face and into his eyes while Derek pretty much carried him down the hallway.

Getting back down into the tunnels was the easy part. The chain across the grate was exactly how Bob had left it. Undoing it, he held the grate open long enough for the other three to get through before slipping through himself. Then he took the time to lock the chain in place again. If anything it might give them a few minute head start while the werewolves tried to figure out where they went.

Moving two people at a time through the narrow tunnels slowed them down even further. As they moved, they heard raised voices a long way behind them. Fear spiked through Sam's system. He didn't want to be caught again. He didn't want them to give him another injection. He only had vague impressions of what happened when he blacked out but he knew it wasn't good. All he had to do was look at his friend and how much trouble he was having moving. Sam knew he'd done that to Nick. Guilt and shame burned in his mind and body. What the hell had these people done to him?

"We need to make up time," Bob stated. Pulling Sam's arm over his shoulder a little further, Bob turned sideways and tried to move faster. He was pretty much carrying the younger man at this point. Sam's small reserve of energy had been completely used up.

Nick was relieved to be leaning on Derek for help. It was an all too familiar situation for him. At least it was something he was more comfortable with. Nick's head was kind of lolling on his neck. It took too much strength to lift it, strength he had to use to just stay upright. Unconsciously, his forehead nestled into Derek's neck. If Nick were consciously aware of that fact, he would have been mortified.

"How did you find us?" Nick asked breathlessly. He was trying to distract himself from his pain and discomfort.

"I heard a rumour about werewolves being attached to Frankfurt house. I couldn't believe it. Jacob and I have come up through the ranks together. I don't want to believe that he would condone any of this," Derek replied. They were talking quietly. The sounds were carrying a long way. He was very concerned at just how weak his security specialist appeared to be. It hadn't been that long since the auction. What had happened to him to reduce his abilities this far?

"Jacob said that it's been a dirty secret through the ages with Frankfurt house. He and Tyler are trying to help Bobby and I find Sam and Dean. Dean was ravaged by werewolves before we could find him. Sam's been infected too," Nick breathed.

"Who is Bobby?" Derek asked. The other names were familiar to him. He had to admit that it surprised him that Jacob would have talked so openly with Nick about all of this. If it had been a secret, Jacob hadn't held it for long. The younger man had only taken office two years ago.

"He is a friend of Sam and Dean, a hunter, like them. He called me back in San Francisco when he realized they were missing," Nick said. He had to stop then, though, it was getting too hard to talk and keep moving.

Derek fell silent as he too concentrated more on moving. Behind them, the voices were much quieter and further away. Apparently looking for them in the tunnels hadn't occurred to the werewolves yet. It was only a matter of time though. The wolves would find their scent once they got over being surprised. Their time was running out.

Leaving the tunnels finally, the four men came on the river. If it was larger Bob would have considered jumping in it and letting it take them to wherever it wound up. It was fast but not deep, so about all they'd accomplish would be getting wet and developing far more bruises than they all ready had.

Climbing back up the way they'd come wasn't going to be a lot of fun either. The alternative, however, was to leave the two weaker men behind some place safe and come back for them when they had more people. That didn't sit well with Bob. He didn't even bother putting the option forward.

Without hesitation, he began to pull Sam up the ledge. They needed to reach the ropes that he'd left behind so they could begin hoisting the injured to the top. How they were going to get out of the forest from there was something he was going to have to work on a little later.

OOOOO

The drug was either working or not. It was really hard to tell. Dean had soaked through another set of sheets on the couch. It was making Bobby very uneasy but Andrew was showing no signs of concern. Bobby wasn't sure if that made him feel better or if it fuelled a desire to strangle the younger man.

"Dean?" Bobby said. He was crouched beside the bed, a glass of water gripped in one hand while the other tried to prop Dean's head up so he wouldn't choke on the liquid. With the amount that Dean was sweating, Bobby needed to get some into him before he dehydrated.

"Hmmm," was the only response Bobby received. Dean's eyes were closed, his mouth slightly open and his skin white as the sheets Bobby had again slipped under him. The boy suddenly seemed to be nothing but arms and legs. Bobby was having trouble keeping them on the couch.

Carefully, Bobby put the glass to Dean's lips and poured some in. He'd timed it right so Dean didn't start chocking on it. Instead, Dean swallowed the liquid. Then his head came up while he tried to down the rest of it in one mouthful.

"Whoa there kid," Bobby said as he pulled the glass back. He didn't want Dean bringing it back up because he drank it too fast.

"Let's try this again," Bobby said. He brought the glass back up and let him have another mouthful. Before he knew it the glass was empty. He stood up to go get another glass. So long as Dean was aware enough to drink, he'd carefully keep giving him water. It was about all he could do for the younger man at the moment.

When he came back into the living room with a fresh glass of water, Bobby found Andrew kneeling beside Dean taking yet another blood sample.

"Is it making any difference at all?" Bobby asked while he watched the lanky kid work. This was the third or fourth time he'd come in to take a sample. Every time he gave Bobby a pretty wide birth. Apparently he still didn't trust the old hunter. Bobby wasn't sure he blamed him. If this didn't work he was going to be looking to someone to blame.

"Yes, I believe it is," the boy responded. "His white blood cell count is up, indicating that his body is fighting the infection. As well, I am finding a few less infected cells in his blood. These are all good signs that it is working. I might have to increase the dosage, however," Andrew responded, carefully concentrating on what he was doing.

The big older man made him nervous. He was too used to dealing with academics like Jacob and Tyler. The more violent members of the Legacy didn't have a lot to do with him or his studies. He was much more comfortable with his machines and samples. They at least made sense and would always do the same thing under the same circumstances. Humans weren't nearly that predictable.

"Why will you have to increase the dosage?" Bobby asked. He was leaning against the door jamb, waiting for the kid to finish.

"It's not working fast enough. There's a real risk he will either die or turn before his body produces enough of a response to the infection. I'll give him another hour. If things haven't changed sufficiently I'll increase the dosage then," Andrew said. He'd gotten his sample and was putting his supplies away, preparing to head back to his lab.

"Are you hungry?" Bobby asked suddenly. Looking at the skinny kid made him realize he was famished. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had anything to eat.

The question stopped the kid in his tracks. He stared at Dean's pale face for a few moments before deciding to answer honestly. "Yes. I'm starving."

"Give me half an hour and I'll have some grub ready. Maybe by then you'll have some good news," Bobby said. He nodded as the kid left the cabin through the back door, looking happier than he'd seen him since he got there.

"Maybe I'll even get you to eat some," Bobby said as he looked over at Dean on the couch. The young hunter was thrashing a little under the blanket, as if he were having a particularly violent dream. Bobby took the glass of water over to him and tried to get him to drink some more without any luck.

Still keeping a close eye on the kid, Bobby headed into the kitchen to see what he could make for a meal. He wasn't going to do Sam, Dean or even Nick any good if he didn't take care of himself.

OOOOO

The world around Dean was full of sights, sounds and smells that he could never remember experiencing before. He'd been through a lot in his life but this was like living life while on acid or something. Glancing to his right was a deep crevice with a rushing river flowing through it. Even though it was several yards below he could smell the water, the moist soil on the edges of the river and the rotting wood of trees and shrubs that were dying on the edges of it.

Turning to his left was a tall mountain covered in a thick canopy of evergreens. He could smell the sap running through the bark. He could hear the birds, squirrels and other small animals moving around above him. He could almost hear their blood pumping through their veins. It was so surreal.

Dean could feel the wind on his skin as it blew down the mountainside. In it he could smell the scent of a bear and a pack of wolves. Then something scurried in the bushes right beside him. Instinctively, Dean lunged at the sound. His hands came in contact with something that was soft, warm and frantic. Pulling it out of the bushes, Dean found that he held a small rabbit. Its heart was beating a mile a minute under his hands while its ears were pulled back against its skull. It was trying to bite his hands.

Without thinking twice about it, Dean pulled its head to the side and sunk his teeth into its jugular. The little creature screamed and fought and tried to dislodge Dean's teeth. Dean revelled in the feel and scent of the animal struggling in his hands and mouth. Growling, Dean sank his teeth a little deep while the frantic animal struggled and screamed again.

Warm blood rushed into Dean's mouth while the animal went through its final struggles. The blood gushed down his hands, chin, throat and chest. The metallic taste almost sent him over the edge of ecstasy. Finished, the dropped the small, downy soft body to the ground. For the first time Dean really looked at what he'd done.

The rabbit's throat was torn out. It looked like an animal had done it. Dean began to shake with revulsion. What had he done? His stomach roiled as the blood reached it.

OOOOO

Just finishing in the kitchen, Bobby was filling his plate so he could sit beside Dean. A noise from the kitchen got his attention. Looking around the corner, the old hunter saw Dean leaning over the side of the couch, retching. Every muscle in his body was trying to expel the contents of his stomach.

"Dean?" Bobby said automatically as he put the plate down and rushed to Dean's side. The floor beside the couch reeked of vomit and bile. Bobby ignored it as he caught hold of Dean, trying to help support the kid's weight while his body continued to heave.

"It's okay," Bobby said, trying to calm the frantic young hunter. Dean was shaking like a leaf, his stomach still convulsing, while strangled sounds erupted from his throat between small amounts of bile. There wasn't anything else in his stomach except the water Bobby had gotten into him earlier. Dean's eyes were frantic while he searched the cabin, apparently not immediately recognizing Bobby. "Take it easy, Dean. It was only a dream."

Bobby was forced to grab Dean's head and turn it toward him to get the kid to pay attention to him. Dean's eyes were big and filled with fear and revulsion. It seemed like Dean was looking for something and Bobby wasn't it.

"Dean!" Bobby said as loudly as he dared while he gave the kid a subtle shake. Dean's eyes were still searching the cabin, his skin slick with sweat and a trickle of bile on his chin. Small, strangled sounds kept slipping through his lips but he still didn't appear to be firmly grounded in where he was.

"You're safe! Now calm down!" Bobby said in a louder voice while he held Dean's head in both his hands and forced it a few inches from his own face. "Dean! It's okay, you're safe!!"

Dean's eyes blinked once, then twice as he finally seemed to focus on the grizzled face in front of him. It still took another minute or so before he stopped trying to rip his head from Bobby's hands and keep looking around the cabin.

"Bobby?" Dean asked finally, his voice sounding small and young.

"Yeah, kid. It's me. You're safe," Bobby tried to sooth him. The irresistible urge to hug the kid tried to overwhelm him.

"Kill me," Dean said, his eyes welling up with tears as he stared up at the face of the man who had become his father. "Please, kill me."

_A/N: That was really awful of me, wasn't it? It just came out! I wasn't planning it but then I never do plan anything in my stories. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I hope I didn't make too many mistakes. I find I've been missing words of late and am not entirely sure why. Anyway, if I did, please forgive me. At least I got the chapter out! I was beginning to wonder there for a little while._

_Thank you very much to masondixon, sammygirl1963, eggylaine and REK222GO for your reviews! Your support means so much to me! Without you writing to me, I'd wonder if anyone liked this story at all! I know I'm still having fun writing it even when it doesn't flow like it is lately._

_I'm going to take a poll while I think of it. I've all ready asked masondixon this question but I thought I'd put it out there. I'm considering rewriting 'Past Times' without all the extra characters and in this little UA that I've unintentionally created. i.e. Nick and Derek know Sam and Dean and vice versa. Would anyone be interested in reading it? I haven't started it yet but the thought won't go away._

_Please let me know what you think. Thanks!_

_Susanne_


	23. Chapter 23

_Ok. So it was more than a few days. I'll do better, I promise! Thank you very much for staying with me. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm all ready working on the next one, honest!_

_Susanne_

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

Bob was the first one up the ropes they'd left behind. He climbed them quickly and easily. Derek had to admit a bit of grudging respect watching the younger man pull himself up hand over hand. He glanced at Nick, sitting haphazardly on the ledge. After all the scrapes the two of them had been through, including Nick dying at the hands of Alex who was in the process of being turned into a vampire, this was the worst he'd ever seen him.

The young security expert was sitting on the ground, favouring his injured side. He stared out into the darkness, not really registering anything around him. Lying beside him, the top of his head resting against Nick's leg was Sam. Nick was breathing shallowly but rapidly. Derek suspected that had to do with the damage to his ribs. Nick was the poster child for defeat at the moment. Sam didn't look much better.

The kid looked awful. Sam's pale skin virtually fluoresced in the darkness. The light from Derek's flashlight reflected off the sweat that covered both men's skin. The trek thus far had been very hard on them. And it was just going to get harder from here on out. Once they were up top, the four of them were going to have to make up as much time and distance as they could. All ready the werewolves and their underlings were searching for them and the most logical place to look was the woods outside.

Briefly Derek regretted rescuing the two young men without having a plan in place first. It wasn't how he usually operated. But seeing Nick and Sam in the state they were in, knowing that the werewolves were going to sell Sam and possibly Nick at any moment had superseded any need to plan better. Once the young men were sold it would have become very difficult to find them.

"How are you doing?" Derek asked as he crouched beside Nick. It seemed to take all the energy Nick had left to raise his head and look at his friend and boss through pain filled eyes.

"Are we there yet?" Nick asked, a slight smile turning up the corner of his mouth. Then his head sank back down.

Instinctively, Derek wrapped a sympathetic arm over Nick's shoulder and gently pulled him against his own body. It killed him to see Nick this hurt, this vulnerable. Usually the younger man was able to shrug this kind of thing off and keep moving. The fact that Nick was so badly affected told Derek just how truly awful he was feeling.

"No, I'm afraid not, Nick. We have a long way to go from here and nothing but our feet to get us there," Derek replied truthfully. Since Nick was the most upright of the two, he began carefully putting him into the climbing harness Bob had left. Nick tried to not react but it was agony for him to move. By the time Derek was done Nick was barely conscious.

"I'm going to need your help, Nick," Derek said in a quiet voice. As much as he liked to think he could carry the smaller man, in reality he could only do it for very short distances. "I need to get you over to the ropes so Bob can lift you out when he's ready."

"What?" Nick breathed, his chin resting on his chest while he struggled to draw in breath around the volcano of pain that was his ribs. He was only vaguely aware of Derek or the harness that was pressing against his side. His world had been reduced to one breath and then the next one.

"Up you go," Derek said without bothering to warn the younger man. As gently as he could, he pulled Nick to his feet using the harness. A small scream was ripped from Nick's lips and then choked off when he couldn't draw another breath. Nick's head fell backward on his nerveless neck and came to rest against Derek's chest while the Precept tried to drag him as quickly and efficiently as possible toward the ropes.

It seemed to take forever to get Nick hooked up on the ropes and sitting back on the ground relatively comfortably. By the time it was over Nick had lost consciousness and was sitting like a lump on the ledge. Listening to Nick's hitched, shallow breathing, Derek carefully laid him on his side, trying to improve the situation for him. It seemed to help marginally.

In the circle of light thrown by the flashlight, Derek saw the ropes pull once and then twice. It was the signal that Bob was ready to start pulling. Derek responded by doing the same and then waited while Nick was slowly but steadily rose off the ground and up the side of the crevice.

"One down," Derek said to himself. Then he moved over to Sam. The kid seemed to be unconscious as well. That was probably just as well for the trip up but it was going to make getting him into the harness a little more difficult. Unlike Nick, Sam seemed to be nothing but long legs and arms. As carefully and as quickly as he could manage, Derek slid the harness over Sam's raggedy clothes.

"Dean?" Derek heard come from the darkness. Now why wasn't he surprised that the first thought on Sam's mind after regaining consciousness was his brother? Sam's voice was weak and very quiet.

"We're going to get you to Dean as soon as we can, Sam," Derek stated as he tightened the harness. "Can you get up?"

"Sure," was the automatic reply. The actual getting up turned out to be a pipe dream. Derek had to grasp the younger, taller man under the arms and drag him backward up the ledge to where the ropes were. By the time they reached them, Bob was ready to take Sam. Derek was just glad that it was the younger man at the top pulling everyone up. He wasn't sure he'd be able to pull the tall young man any further than he had.

"I'm going to secure you to the ropes, Sam. Bob is going to pull you up. Try to help as much as you can," Derek said as he slipped the ropes through the carabineer and made sure Sam was tied on properly. Two quick tugs on the rope and Sam was on his way up as well.

Suddenly alone in the dark cavern, Derek felt a prickle of fear work up his spine. He resisted the urge to pan the flashlight around the crevice. Instead, he concentrated on putting the last harness on himself and waiting for Bob to indicate that it was time for him to begin his ascent. Leaving the flashlight on, Derek clipped it to his belt and waited.

OOOOO

"What are you talking about?" Bobby demanded. It was the most ludicrous thing he'd ever hear the eldest Winchester boy say, which was a milestone in itself. Dean came up with some doozies.

"I don't want to turn into something you'll be forced to hunt," Dean said, his voice cracked and weak. "Kill me now before it gets harder."

"Quit talking out of your ass, kid," Bobby grumbled. He couldn't stand staring at those eyes any more. In self defence, he pulled Dean's head up against his chest and wrapped both of his arms around him. It was a very odd sensation for both of them. "That lab boy has figured out a cure. He just needs a little time to figure out how much to give you."

"We may not have that long," Dean replied. He drew in the familiar scent of grease, sweat and Old Spice that was Bobby. Relaxing into the older man's embrace, Dean closed his eyes and tried to ignore the tears that were running down his face. It felt too damned good to not be the one responsible to handle everything.

"Shut up. We have all the time we need. He's out back doing whatever the hell it is that he does. By the time we find Sam he'll have it perfected and we'll all go back home to the good old US of A. This place is too big and there are too damned many people around," Bobby said. He just hoped he was right. He could feel his t-shirt getting wet from Dean's tears. The whole experience seemed surreal.

"Ahem," came from behind Bobby. It took everything he had to not push Dean back onto the couch and whip around with his guns blazing. He'd recognized the voice behind the sound the instant it was uttered. Bobby tried also to ignore the sense of embarrassment at being caught like this, having a chick flick moment with the kid.

"What do you want, Andrew?" Bobby said without letting go or turning around. He felt Dean tense in his arms but even he didn't pull away.

"I need to take some more blood and administer more serum," Andrew explained. He was standing at the doorway to the living room. He wasn't sure if he should intrude but he needed the samples.

"How's it going so far?" Bobby asked as he extracted himself from Dean and got the younger man set up on the couch again. As casually as he could, he stepped out of the way and took up position in the nearest chair.

"The viral count is still decreasing. I'm hoping that by administering more serum that it will accelerate the rate of decrease," the young scientist replied. A self conscious smile on his lips, Andrew knelt down beside Dean, rolled up his sleeve and began taking his sample. Dean hissed as the needle punctured his skin but otherwise didn't react at all.

"So, it's working?" Bobby asked. He understood what the kid had said but he just wanted to make sure.

"Yes, it appears to be combating the virus. I will be more comfortable, however, when the levels are even lower," Andrew said. He had his sample and was in the process of injecting Dean with a hypodermic filled with a goldish coloured liquid in it. "I'll be back in an hour to see how things are going."

With that, Andrew collected his materials and left.

"Get some sleep, Dean. I think you're going to need it," Bobby instructed. He didn't miss the look of panic that passed over Dean's face. "I'll keep an eye on you. If you're having another bad dream I'll wake you up."

Feeling younger than he had since he was four, Dean closed his eyes and tried to relax. It was easier said than done.

OOOOO

"That took longer than I'd hoped," Bob breathed. He was standing on top of the crevice trying to recover. Nick hadn't been too hard, he was pretty light, considering. Sam had been an entirely different problem. He'd stayed awake during the entire ascent and tried to help but Bob wasn't entirely sure how much help he'd really been. By the time Derek was coming up, Bob's arms were shaking with fatigue. The only help he'd given the older man was to pull him over the lip and onto secure ground.

"The sun's coming up. We're going to be easier to track," Derek stated. He looked over at Nick. The security expert was out of the harness but still appeared to be unconscious. Bob had been paying attention though and laid him on his uninjured side.

A few feet away from Nick, Sam was lying sprawled on his back. His knees were drawn up in an attempt to keep from sliding into the crevice but otherwise he was showing no signs of life. If possible his skin was even paler and his eyes were tightly closed.

"Where do we go from here?" Derek asked. He was desperately hoping the young Unit member had an idea because he was at a complete loss.

Bob looked at Nick. He obviously wasn't going to be of any help. It would be simple enough pick him up in a fireman's carry to get him moving but Sam was another matter. While he at least seemed to be aware, he was taller than Derek and weighed more. The older man was going to have trouble keeping up with any pace that Bob set for them while helping Sam move.

"I'll take Nick and head for the vehicle. You know where it is, right?" Bob waited for a nod from Derek before continuing. "You bring Sam at the best speed you can manage. Once I have Nick inside the truck I'll come back and help you."

It wasn't a great plan but it would hopefully get one of the injured safe while moving the other one in the right direction. It was better than nothing.

"All right," Derek agreed as he moved toward Sam. Gently shaking the younger man's shoulder, Derek was gratified to see his blue-green eyes open immediately and come to rest on his face. "We're leaving."


	24. Chapter 24

_Hi. I'm really sorry this has taken so long. I really had intended to get this chapter out sooner. I've even finally gotten my muse back for this story. _

_I have to admit that I'm not entirely happy with this chapter. It moves the plot along but I wasn't really feeling it. If I've done anything out of character, please let me know. _

_Thank you very much for my faithful reviewers! You really do help to keep me interested! Keep up the great work._

_Susanne_

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

It didn't take long for Bob to outpace the other two. He had Nick slung over his shoulder and was covering ground as quickly as he could. He didn't waste time in trying to use the training the Unit and Army Rangers had given him. They had to get to the vehicle as fast as possible before the werewolves found their scent.

As hard as he tried, Bob couldn't keep Nick from bouncing against his shoulder. He knew the smaller man had cracked ribs. He'd made sure that it was Nick's uninjured side that took the majority of his weight over the bones of Bob's shoulders but he could still hear Nick wheezing to draw breath.

It was the sound of Nick moaning subtly in his ear that kept Bob from hearing them. They paced the two men for several yards, trying to ascertain the location of the other two. They knew from the scents in the dungeon that there were four men involved in the prison break. No one was going to escape.

One second Bob could see the truck through the trees, the next he was flying forward, Nick still on his shoulder. With a grunt, the Unit member landed on his chest, Nick caught between him and the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of him. Ignoring the sensation, Bob rolled onto his side and tried to gain his feet. His eyes were scanning the area. He found nothing.

"What the hell?" Bob wondered aloud as he knelt down beside Nick. The Legacy member was unconscious, which was probably just as well. Looking back the way they'd come, Bob couldn't find anything to account for his tripping.

His instincts screaming, Bob bent down and made to pick up Nick while still keeping a close eye on his surroundings. It didn't help him much. Suddenly, instead of the forest, Bob was looking at a beast. He could only describe it as a werewolf. It was one of the half breeds, he could tell by the primitive nature of it.

It stood a few feet in front of Bob and Nick, an evil looking grin pulling his lips back from his teeth. The creature's yellow eyes burned with animalistic rage. But it almost seemed to be waiting for something, some kind of signal. Bob could see its muscles trembling with barely contained violence. Cautiously, Bob reached around his hip and grasped his gun. Moving slowly, so as not to irritate the creature, Bob pulled it out of its holster, thumbing the safety and brought it around.

The Unit member never got to use it. He had been concentrating on the creature in front of him, trusting his peripheral vision to let him know if anything else was coming up beside him. He hadn't considered how fast werewolves moved. As Bob brought the gun up to take aim, a large, hairy, muscular body hit him from the right side, sending him flying several feet before he landed.

Ignoring the pain, the complete lack of air in his lungs, Bob rolled to his feet and brought the gun up again. Only his Unit training had allowed him to retain the weapon and to compartmentalize the damage done to his body. Tracking the nearest werewolf as he stalked him, Bob squeezed off two rounds, one striking the creature in the heart, the other sliding through its right eye.

Howling, the werewolf collapsed, clawing at its chest and face while it continued to voice its anger. The sound seemed to energize the second werewolf. Before Bob could pivot on his foot to face the other creature, it was on him. The weight of the thing dragged them both to the ground. Grunting, Bob tried to push the body off of him, to get his gun back around but it was clawing at him, ripping at his clothes, his flesh.

All Bob could see was fur and muscle, all he could feel was the creature clawing at him. He had the feeling that it wasn't trying to injure him, just to unnerve him, to keep him off his game. The smell of the creature was terrible. Like wet dog mixed with vomit. He had to breathe through his mouth or else the fumes would muddle his head.

The creature caught Bob's right forearm, trying to dislodge the gun still gripped tightly in his hand. Desperate to get the beast off of him, Bob pointed the gun away from his own body and pulled the trigger. Jonas would have his ass if he found out he'd done it. The report of the weapon was only slightly muffled by the creature's body. All it seemed to do was anger it.

Shrieking like a banshee, the werewolf rose to its feet, still holding firm to Bob's arm. Now that he wasn't being weighed down, Bob tried to twist around, to land a blow with his free hand or to grasp the gun in it. Before he could, the werewolf swung him like a sack of potatoes, still holding tightly to his arm, and threw him against the nearest tree.

Bob's side impacted with the rough bark, abrading his skin. That didn't really matter all that much though, as the pain from his arm overrode any other sensation. He felt the radius and ulna twist and then break as he struck the tree. Hissing through the pain, Bob tried to keep the gun in his hand but it was useless. Once the bones broke, his fingers lost all strength and sensation. The gun dropped to the ground.

"Damn it," Bob swore. The creature wasn't letting go and was winding up to throw him against something else. The agony of his arm brought tears to the corner of his eyes but he still struggled to get free. Somehow he managed it. Pressing his injured arm against his side, Bob stumbled over to where Nick still lay unconscious.

Bob took up a position standing over Nick, his gun in his left hand while he faced down the second werewolf. It was circling him, trying to unnerve him. Apparently they weren't entirely instinct. This one had calculation behind those yellow eyes. Bob could swear he saw his death in those depths.

The pain of Bob's broken arm would be ignored no longer. The tears sprang to Bob's eyes again, blurring his vision. He didn't care move to wipe the offending water out of his vision. It would draw attention to his weakness. That was the last thing he needed at the moment.

Bob's heart dropped down to his knees. Just beyond the werewolf's massive head he saw another one lurking. He was desperately outnumbered. Fear niggled at his mind. He needed his gun. While keeping an eye on the werewolves, he scanned the area for his weapon.

The werewolves were trying to flank him, working in concert without making a single noise. They were on either side of him, circling. "Here, doggie, doggie, doggie," Bob muttered under his breath. He couldn't see his gun in the undergrowth. This wasn't looking good.

Just as the werewolf from Bob's left dove at him, there was the loud report of a gun and the werewolf spun away from him. The second one was momentarily stunned, as was Bob. Then it too leaped at the Unit member. Instinctively, Bob ducked, his hands searching frantically in the vegetation, still looking for his gun.

A second report and the second werewolf was thrown to the side, narrowly missing Bob and Nick. As thankful as he was to be delivered from being turned into dog food, Bob was instantly nervous about who had saved them. Still standing protectively over Nick's prone body, Bob waited to see what was happening.

Bob wasn't sure if he was relieved or just a little embarrassed to see the two men that had brought Nick to the auction come out of the trees. Both held rifles in their hands.

"I'd move away from them," Jacob stated. He was ignoring the humans and concentrating all of his attention on the werewolves. He knew their rounds were particularly effective against half breeds, Andrew had made them. But he still didn't want to take the chance that they may still be alive.

Jacob and Tyler had decided to come to the forest and try to find a way into the castle. They'd been unsuccessful but it had put them in the area when they'd heard the dustup between Bob and the werewolves. They weren't sure who he was but they definitely recognized Nick.

"Nick?" Tyler said as he covered the distance between him and the Legacy member. He kept a careful watch on Bob, just in case. He trusted Jacob to cover him from the werewolves.

"He's in rough shape," Bob stated as he stood his ground. He knew they were Legacy, the same as Nick. That should mean he could trust them. Unfortunately, the only Legacy members he knew he could trust were Nick and Derek. The rest of them were questionable. Especially since the two men had left Nick behind. They may not have had a choice but being from the Unit, Bob would never leave a man behind.

"You don't look to be in much better shape," Tyler stated. He had no idea who this man was but he'd risked his life to protect Nick. That proved he was probably okay. Tyler had noticed the awkward tilt of his right arm. The werewolves had been having fun.

"I'm fine," Bob growled. He appreciated the older man aiming his rifle at the werewolves and not him. He knew this could go wrong in a hurry and was trying to think past the pain to figure out a way to keep things calm.

"I'm Tyler, that's Jacob. Can I check over Nick?" Tyler said. He'd reached the two men and noticed that Bob hadn't backed down. He still stood over the smaller man looking very menacing despite his injury.

Further conversation was forestalled by the arrival of Derek and Sam. The two men came limping out of the trees. They'd heard the shots and raced as fast as they could toward the sound. Relief was evident on both their faces upon seeing Bob still standing. Derek was also relieved to see Jacob and Tyler, armed.

"Hello," Derek said as he helped Sam sink to the ground. They were both exhausted from the prolonged rush to try to help Bob and Nick. Derek suddenly felt twice his age. His eyes took in Jacob, Tyler, Bob and then Nick. "We need to get out of here before the werewolves realize they're missing some of their pack."

OOOOO

The trip to the vehicles was actually easier than Derek had expected. Having the extra pairs of hands really helped. He did notice though, that despite his broken arm, Bob tried to take Nick himself. Derek got the feeling he didn't trust the new arrivals.

The truck wasn't quite big enough for everyone so Derek put Sam and Jacob in the front with Bob. The man couldn't drive but he needed to stay in control. That left Tyler and Derek in the bed of the truck with a still unconscious Nick. They wrapped blankets around the smaller man, trying to keep him warm and then they both huddled in the bed. It was going to be a cold trip back to town.

While they drove, Derek and Tyler filled each other in on what had transpired so far. Derek looked down at his security expert with admiration. That was Nick, willing to throw everything away when it came to family. The younger man picked his family carefully. Clearly he considered the brothers to be among the chosen few.

Derek was relieved to find out that Tyler and Jacob had been working to create a vaccine. He had the feeling Sam and Dean were going to need all the help they could get.

OOOOO

Dean was cold. He wasn't entirely sure why but it felt like he was in a freezer. He wouldn't be surprised to see his breath. That is if he could manage to open his eyes. At the moment he didn't appear to have the energy to perform even that simple act. Frustration burned through him. He was a complete invalid and Sammy was with a bunch of werewolves. It was a good thing John Winchester couldn't see this. Clearly Dean wasn't performing his job very well. The only important job he had, to keep Sam safe. He'd been doing it since his brother was a baby. It was amazing the kid had lasted this long.

Dimly Dean became aware of the sound of water dripping. Then he realized that he was wet. Well, that might explain why he was cold. Wait, who the hell takes a bath in cold water, that didn't make sense. He was naked in the water. He as pretty sure about that and it did nothing to calm the panic that was bubbling through him. What the hell was going on?

"I'm just as uncomfortable with this as you are, kid," Bobby's voice reverberated around his head. Well, that didn't sound good. Gradually Dean became aware that someone was scrubbing his body under the water. That had better be a beautiful blond and not the crusty old hunter Dean was expecting. "You stink."

The sponge bath just hadn't done it. After more hours spent sitting with the kid Bobby couldn't stand it anymore. It grated against his nerves to give another man a bath but he sure as hell wasn't going to take a shower with him. As quickly and efficiently as he could, the older hunter scrubbed at the kid's skin. When he was finished, Bobby spent all of two seconds to wash Dean's hair. The kid liked it messy anyway. A twisted grin on his face, Bobby pushed Dean's head under the water to rinse the shampoo out of his short dark blond hair.

Still grinning, Bobby pulled Dean's head out of the water. After going through all of this to get him clean he wasn't about to let Dean drown. Catching hold of the younger man by the arm pits, Bobby pulled him bodily out of the water and practically dumped him on a large towel on the floor. His initial thought was to do a cursory job of drying Dean's wet body. Then he noticed that Dean's teeth were all ready chattering from cold.

Grumbling under his breath, Bobby dried Dean off and then pulled a pair of underwear and sweats up over his legs. The process of getting Dean back into the living room left Bobby near exhaustion. Thank God he'd never had any kids of his own.

Once Dean was settled back down on the couch, a fresh sheet under him and new blankets over him, Bobby headed toward the bathroom. A shower was in his future. Now that Dean was clean, he noticed how badly he was starting to smell too.

Within ten minutes, newly clean and in a fresh set of clothes, Bobby was back in the kitchen. It was time to make food. Even if Dean didn't wake up enough to eat it, Bobby wanted to keep Andrew fed so he could keep working.

The opening of the front door to the cabin was a welcome relief and a cause for concern at the same time. Slipping his hand onto the gun in the back of his pants, Bobby checked around the corner. He felt the air rush out of his lungs as he saw Sam being led into the room.

"Sammy?" Bobby said as he covered the distance to the youngest Winchester in two strides. He offered the other men a cursory look before returning his eyes to Sam. The kid looked like shit. He appeared to have lost a good thirty pounds, the bones now predominant in his face. The thing that concerned Bobby the most was the absolute exhaustion lurking in Sam's blue-green eyes.

"Hi, Bobby," Sammy breathed. He tried to put his hand on Bobby's shoulder to let him know he was okay. Instead he began to lean toward the old hunter as his body gave in completely. Bobby had to scramble to keep Sam's tall body from finding the floor.

Hands came out of nowhere and helped Bobby get Sam situated on the floor. Beside him Jacob and Tyler carefully laid Nick out. It was then he noticed Derek and Bob. The two people he didn't know. His hand ghosted toward his gun again.

"They're all right, Bobby," Jacob tried to assure him. He knew that Bobby was overly protective of Dean and probably Sam. The last thing they needed was for the older hunter to shoot Bob or Derek. "This is Derek, Nick's boss. This man with the broken arm is Bob. He's currently working with Derek."

Bobby nodded to the two men and then went to Sam's side. He needed to know what was wrong with the youngest Winchester so he could fix him. Then the three of them could get the hell back to America.

"What now?" Bobby asked while he did a cursory exam. Not for the first time he noticed that at times like these Sam seemed to be all arms and legs.

"Tyler and I were discussing that on the way here," Derek stated. He had moved to Nick. He was deeply concerned for his friend. "While I want to deal with the werewolves, I'm not sure this is the right time. We have too many casualties and have lost the element of surprise.

"For now I think that we should concentrate on healing our wounded and getting someplace safe. From what Tyler has told me, Europe is probably not our best choice. I also don't want to be caught on an island the side of England. My first inclination is to go back to America," Derek finished. He hated running away. He wanted to deal with the werewolves and the infected the creatures had been selling to each other. Looking at Nick, he knew they needed to retreat and regroup.

"That's the first sensible thing I've heard since I got here," Bobby agreed. Now that he had his boys back, he just wanted to get them someplace safe. The werewolves were going to have to wait for another day. "When are we leaving?"


	25. Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

"I might have a way to get us out of here," Bob suggested. He was still cradling his broken arm. He wanted to get it professionally set but not before the group's plans were settled. He couldn't risk that the damage to his arm would be permanent. He'd be out of the Unit. At this point in his life Bob couldn't imagine life without being a Unit member.

"I'm open to suggestions," Derek admitted. There were too many wounded and chartering an airplane would leave a paper trail that the werewolves could follow. He had no doubt that they knew he was a Legacy member. Knowing that, it wouldn't take them long to figure out which house he was associated with. Damn, he was going to have to warn Alex and Rachel. Soon.

"I have a contact along the coast. He has a fleet of tanker ships that transport commercial items between Europe and the U. S. I'm sure he could get us on the next one heading out. It will give us a little time to recover and we wouldn't appear on any manifests," Bob said.

"How would we get to the coast?" Bobby asked. He didn't know much about European geography unless it had to do with some supernatural creature but he knew they were a ways from the coast.

"Andrew's motor home. It's big enough that Nick, Sam and Dean can lay down for the trip," Jacob suggested. He knew the young scientist would be very upset that he was volunteering his services and his vehicle but it was the only real solution.

"That's not exactly flying under the radar," Bob said. He had visions of a huge thirty six foot motor home trying to navigate the European streets. It wasn't a pretty sight. Jonas would be appalled.

"It would give me extra time to make sure the serum is working," Andrew said from the living room doorway. He'd heard the conversation. Glancing at Sam, he knew the youngest of the three Americans was also infected and would need to start on a very high dose of the serum. That dosage he was considering might cause seizures or have other affects. He wanted to be there to monitor them.

"Are you willing to come to America?" Derek asked. He was kneeling beside Nick. His subordinate looked so very young and ill. He wanted to drag the dark haired young man onto the next plane and get him home safely before trying to deal with his injuries. He knew, thought, that Nick would be extremely upset with him if he abandoned the Winchesters. For his part, Derek would feel awful abandoning them too.

"How long is the trip?" Andrew asked. A plane ride wouldn't be long enough, a boat ride just might be. Besides, it would be the best place to keep the brothers confined until the serum had removed the werewolf infection completely. If they escaped their rooms, there were only so many places on board a ship for them to go.

"As long as we need to make it," Bob stated. He wasn't sure but it was what the lanky kid needed to hear.

"Okay. I'll go. We should stop at the clinic where I work first though, some of these wounds are going to need immediate attention," Andrew said. He stood passively while the Legacy members and the tall, close shaven man with the broken arm tried to prepare their charges to move.

OOOOO

The clinic was fairly small. Having the four injured men in it pretty much filled the space. Andrew had phoned his boss and asked him to treat the men before they hit the road. Andrew was invaluable to his boss's enterprise but he was used to the young genius needing to disappear for days on end. It was part of his charm.

"What happened to these men?" Andrew's boss asked. He was a blond man in his mid forties that took as good of care of his body as he could given how many hours he worked. He'd moved between each of the men, assessing their injuries and determining a treatment.

"It's a long story Dr. Harken," Andrew stated. He tried to keep his boss out of the supernatural world as much as he could. Sometimes he was more successful than others. "I'll explain when I get back."

The doctor considered asking more questions but it would be a waste of time. Andrew could be entirely too evasive when he wanted to be. This appeared to be one of those times. Sighing, Dr. Harken turned his attention to Bob.

The Unit member was sitting in a chair. He was unusually patient for a man with a broken arm. He'd taken x-rays and was waiting for them to be processed through his machine. Taking the young man's arm between his hands, he decided on a course of action.

"Why don't you just give him some of that liquid crap you gave me?" Bobby asked from his position near the front door of the clinic. He was standing with Jacob and Tyler. The two men weren't ready to let them out of their sight yet. It was like they wanted to make sure the group left Frankfurt entirely before they took a relieved breath.

"The bone needs to be properly aligned before the potion is used. Otherwise the bone will grow until something stops it. Not always a good thing," Jacob replied. He and Tyler should be headed back to the Legacy house. By now the werewolves would probably be trying to find them. He simply chose to stay missing for a while longer. Jacob was tired. More tired than he could remember ever being before. He just needed time to recuperate.

Beside Jacob, Tyler was practically asleep on his feet. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept.

"Oh," Bobby responded. He watched the doctor like a hawk while he worked on the Winchesters. Mostly the damage was minor but both boys had IV's in either arm, trying to stave off dehydration. The old hunter was anxious to get moving. He kept having visions of the werewolves breaking down the door and turning all of them.

It seemed to take forever for the doctor to finish working all them all. The last one to be dealt with was Bob. Once the bones in his arm were realigned, the doctor put it in a metal and Velcro splint. Then he pronounced them all as being as healed as he could do for them for now.

"Thanks doc," Andrew said as he helped to usher the group back out to his motor home. Jacob handed Bobby a bottle of the potion to help heal bones. He had the feeling the group was going to need as much help as they could get. A quick good bye and the group headed off toward the coast.

"How are we going to explain all of this to the others?" Tyler asked his superior. They were standing outside the clinic watching the large vehicle disappear down the street. The two men weren't the only members of their house. The others were going to want to know where they'd been the last couple of days and what they'd been doing. He wasn't sure if Jacob was ready to divulge all of this. He could tell that the older man still felt a lot of guilt for letting this go on for as long as he had.

"I'll think of something. Let's go home," Jacob replied as he turned and headed to his car. There were going to be a lot of changes at Frankfurt house. He wasn't sure that the members were going to be ready for all of them.

OOOOO

The ship Bob directed Andrew to appeared to be a little worse for wear. Its surface showed huge sections of discoloration. The deck was only partially full of cargo containers.

"Where do I go?" Andrew asked as he scanned the immediate area. Parking his motor home here would make it stand out far too much. He wanted to hide it somewhere where the werewolves wouldn't find it.

"See that ramp?" Bob asked as he pointed at the ramp from the pier to the deck of the ship. "Drive up it. The captain wants to put this thing inside a large container. He thought it would be safer in there."

"I could use my equipment in case I need to adjust the serum," Andrew admitted. He'd really hated the idea of leaving his home away from home behind. Anxiously he drove his baby up the ramp and onto the deck. This was going to be an interesting trip.

OOOOO

"Hello, Captain Long," Bob said. He'd climbed out of the vehicle and offered his hand to the tall, thin man who greeted them. The captain was careful to not hurt the man's injured arm while he carefully shook the offered hand.

"Good to see you again, Mr. Blue," the captain replied, a warm smile gracing his lean face. He glanced over at Derek and Bobby as the two men exited the vehicle as well. Neither of them went very far though, just in case. "I'm sorry to hear about your misfortunes. Please, bring your friends. I have a place set up for you."|

"That would be greatly appreciated. It's been a long couple of days," Bob stated. He was scanning the ship and the dock beyond, just to make sure there wasn't anyone suspicious around. It was then he noticed the three men on the deck standing in the shadows. Before Bob had a chance to come up with a response, the three men stepped into the light.

"Hello, Bob," the dark skinned, tall man said, a smile on his lips. Bob had never been so relieved to see his commanding officer. His knees almost went weak. Derek was able to recognize Jonas, Mac and Charlie. He put a restraining hand on Bobby's arm. The older man was ready to attack. No one was getting to his boys again.

"I thought you were somewhere in the East," Bob said. He felt infinitely better about the trip back to America. After seeing what Sam and Dean could turn into, he wanted as much help as he could get.

"We were. Then we thought that you might need a little help," Jonas said. He was actually ignoring orders at the moment. He knew Bob was perfectly capable of handling pretty much anything but once he heard about his subordinate's broken arm he decided to go off script.

"Any help you can render would be greatly appreciated," Bob stated. He moved toward the motor home. He was going to need a couple of extra hands to get Sam, Dean and Nick to the area the captain had set up for them.


	26. Chapter 26

_Wow! An update so soon! You'd almost think it's the weekend, huh? Unfortunately, after today the real world breaks down the door again. I'll try to get another chapter out before the end of the week, will have to see._

_Thank you as always to my faithful reviewers. You know I love you!!_

_Susanne_

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

"What the hell did all of this?" Mac asked. He'd helped bring the three injured into a small crew quarters. He was used to seeing battle wounds but these were nothing like anything he'd ever seen before. It was like they'd been attacked by an animal. Jonas had been vague on details about what Bob had been up to. When Mac saw Derek, Nick, Sam and Dean he knew something fishy was going on. Fishier than usual anyway.

"A werewolf," Derek answered truthfully. He saw disbelieve cross the ruddy skinned man's face. When he didn't say anything else, Mac realized he was telling him the truth. Disbelief was momentarily replaced by fear. Then the man's usual mask of indifference fell back into place.

"Right, whatever you say," Mac stated as he headed back outside. Derek and Bobby would have to take care of the wounded. He and the other Unit members were going to have to be keeping watch until the ship left harbour. Mac wasn't sure if he knew how to deal with a werewolf. He just hoped that shooting it in the head as many times as possible would work.

Bobby, Bob and Derek got the three men comfortable on the bunk beds in the room. Bobby put Dean in a top bunk and Sam right underneath him. He wasn't letting the brothers out of his sight until they were safely in the United States again. Even then he was seriously considering making them move in with him. At least that way he'd know they were safe.

"You stay with them," Jonas said to Bob. He was disappointed to see the bulky brace on Bob Brown's arm. It meant that he would be out of commission in the field until it healed completely. Colonel Ryan would still keep him busy but it reduced the number of people Jonas could count on to watch his back. That was never a good thing. "We will be keeping watch even after we leave the dock. I don't trust your new enemies to not be well supplied with arms and vehicles."

"That was my thought as well," Bob stated. He glanced over at the brothers and Nick. He was concerned for them, especially if they turned into one of the werewolves he'd tried to fight. They were all in trouble if that happened. "I'll stay in here, armed, just in case."

OOOOO

Nick woke with a start. He had the sensation that a werewolf was trying to rip his side out. Sitting up didn't help ease the pain any, neither did looking around. He had absolutely no idea where he was but finding Derek hovering over him helped to settle the sense of panic that had been threatening to take over.

"Take it easy," Derek said as he tried to push Nick back onto the bunk. The wild look in Nick's eyes had startled him. Usually Nick was in complete control of his faculties. It was very disconcerting to see him apparently lose control. "You're safe."

"Sam and Dean?" Nick breathed while he struggled to adjust to his new surroundings. It looked like a ship. How did that happen?

"They're here with Bobby. I think Andrew is going to start a round of treatment for Sam. At least that's what I assume he's going to do with that needle and syringe," Derek stated. The doctor had done a good job on patching Nick up but he suspected his security chief was going to be pretty sore for a while.

"Where exactly is 'here'?" Nick asked. He was staring at the bottom of the bunk above his head. Why did he suddenly felt like he was seven years old at bed in summer camp? Glancing over to the side, he saw Bobby fussing with Dean on the top bunk. Andrew was kneeling beside Sam and appeared to be injecting him with a large syringe of a clear substance. Nick only hoped it would help the kid fight the werewolf. After having seen Sam in his werewolf state, Nick never wanted to see it again.

"We're on board a freighter. Bob found it through one of his contacts. We're going back to the States until everyone's healed up. Tyler and Jacob are going to keep an eye on the pure breeds and their minions. If something comes up we'll know about it," Derek said, trying to calm his friend.

"What about the auctions? We can't let them keep buying and selling people," Nick nearly shouted. The very thought of it set his blood boiling, especially when he remembered Sam up on the auction block. Again he struggled to sit up but his side and other injuries brought him up short. Slowly, he sank back down on to the mattress.

"We will deal with all of it, Nick. I have no intentions of letting it continue but we need to be better prepared. I need to approach some of the other Precepts to see if they can help. This is a larger operation than either of us can take on by ourselves," Derek said. He glanced over to the tall thin young man. He could see Bobby out of the corner of his eye watching Andrew like a hawk. Clearly the old hunter wanted Andrew to do his thing but didn't trust him to do it without supervision.

"How are Sam and Dean?" Nick was trying to distract himself from the bitter taste of defeat. At least that's how he saw it. The Winchesters were together and safe, he thought, but the werewolves were still free, selling people like property. The very thought brought bile to the back of his throat.

"We stopped along the way to have a doctor examine all of you so they're stable. Andrew has all ready given Dean another dosage of the vaccine, now we have to wait and see how Sam does on it. Has he turned completely yet?" Derek asked. He had his answer when he saw Nick's face darken with memory. The fear and panic he never thought he'd see on his security chief's face slid back over his features before he could stop it.

"How long until this stuff takes effect?" Bobby asked. He was tired of watching Andrew fiddle with Sam. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.

"I've given him a starting dose that is twice what I gave Dean. We'll know in a matter of hours if it is having the desired effect," Andrew replied without looking up. He'd felt the crusty older man looking over his shoulder since he knelt down. He was becoming a little more acquainted with the man and his habits so he no longer found the habit as threatening as he used to.

"Should we be restraining him?" Derek asked. He knew Bobby had turned toward him and was glaring at the top of his head but he chose to ignore it. If Sam were to start changing again he wanted to be prepared.

"It might not be a bad idea," Andrew admitted.

"No. Absolutely not!" Bobby growled. No one was tying up his Sam, treating him like an animal. He looked up at Dean's face. It didn't really surprise him to find Dean's eyes partially open and glaring at him. While Dean wasn't quite aware of what was going on around him, he knew Bobby was upset about something.

"Sam?" Dean croaked out.

"It's okay Dean. We're safe and Sam's here," Bobby tried to assure the elder Winchester brother. "We're having a discussion about how to deal with him until the serum takes hold."

Dean tried to pull his protesting body out of the bunk, intent on finding his brother and seeing him with his own two eyes. It didn't take much of a push from Bobby to force him back down onto the mattress. Damn, he hated being this weak.

"I need to see him," Dean rumbled. He had to give up struggling quickly. It left him panting for air and slick with sweat. His arms and legs were all ready starting to shake with fatigue. "Where is he?"

"You're on a bunk bed, Dean. He's on the one below you. Take it easy. He's safe, you're safe, Nick's safe and we're on our way back to the States. Things are as good as they're going to get at the moment," Bobby said. He didn't get to finish reassuring Dean that everything was okay because at that moment Sam began screaming below him. The sound stunned all the occupants of the room for a split second. The sound that followed, however, turned the blood running through their veins to ice. The scream had turned into a howl.


	27. Chapter 27

_I know. It's late. I'm sorry. My muse is hiding again. I hope you enjoy the chapter!!_

_Susanne_

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

Bob jumped forward, followed shortly by Derek, and grabbed Sam while the tall, strong young man thrashed around on his bed. There wasn't much room to manoeuvre, further aggravating the situation. Sam was wild. Fear gnawed at Bob that the kid was transforming. They needed to get him into a more controlled location.

"Is this normal?" Bobby asked Andrew. The scientist was retreating toward the door, trying to stay out of the way. Bobby joined the melee, trying to get Sam under control. Damn the kid was strong!

"No, maybe, I don't know," Andrew sputtered. He'd backed up to the door and was promptly bowled over by Jonas, Mac and Charlie entering the fray. Even with the added muscle, the men had a hell of a time trying to secure Sam. The kid was attacking anything that came within striking distance with his hands, his feet and his teeth.

Picking himself up, Andrew tried to watch, to see who was getting the upper hand but there were so many arms and legs in such a confined spot that all he saw was movement and all he heard were the grunts of exertion and Sam growling.

This didn't make sense. He'd given the younger man a higher dosage to begin with because he'd been infected longer. It should work. So why was he reacting so strongly? While he tried to puzzle it out, to figure out where he'd gone wrong, the melee wound down.

"We need to get him someplace more secure," Bob said between gasps for air. The kid had elbowed him very hard in the stomach. He was having trouble getting his breath back.

"There's an empty container up on deck. We can lock him in there," Jonas suggested. There was no way, short of being hopped up on PCP, that one person should have been able to take all of them on. They'd fallen back into the rabbit hole.

"You're not throwing him into a metal container for the entire trip home," Bobby growled. Looking down at Sam's snarling, spitting face he barely recognized his surrogate son. It was so hard to see his youngest in such dire straits.

"I don't think we have a choice," Andrew interjected. He stepped closer to Sam so he could examine him a bit better. While the young man was clearly trying to transform, it wasn't quite taking hold. He was only part way there and it seemed to be as far as he could go. "I need to keep giving him the vaccine but he will probably continue to react like this. It's better than chaining him."

"You're not chaining Sam to anything," Bobby growled. He moved over to a still unconscious Dean. He didn't have to ask the younger man what he would think about chaining his kid brother like an animal. Dean would go ballistic. He didn't much like the idea of locking him in a large, cold metal container either but looking around at the battered and tired men around him there didn't seem to be another choice.

"He'd freeze up there," Derek said. He too was breathing heavily after the fight. Sam was on the floor between the beds. Mac and Charlie were holding him in place. Both men were freaked out because they could feel the kid's bones moving under his skin. His body was still trying to turn into a werewolf even though it couldn't any longer. Andrew's serum was preventing it.

"He'll have blankets. Besides, we'll only put him up there when he's like this," Jonas said. Nodding at his two men, he helped them lift Sam up. The kid was still struggling, trying to get hold of anyone who got close enough but between them they carried him out. Jonas wasn't waiting for the two men to make up their minds. The kid was a menace that they needed to deal with right now.

OOOOO

"Sam?" Dean came around slowly. It felt like the last few days of his life were in a complete fog. He couldn't quite figure out where he was or what the hell had been going on. All he knew for sure was that he hurt. All over. And where was Sam?

"Dean?" Bobby said as he forced his body up from Sam's bed. The past several hours had passed quietly enough. Bobby spent his time between checking on Sam and checking on Dean but he'd finally had to give in to exhaustion and get a little shut eye. He knew that Derek was awake and would be able to watch over Dean and Nick. But he still woke up at the first sound Dean had made. "Hey, kid. How you feeling?"

"Where's Sam?" Dean asked as he pried his protesting eyelids open. Even they hurt like hell. Had he been drinking a little too much last night? He couldn't remember.

"He'd safe," Bobby hedged. He glanced over at Derek. The older man was sitting in a chair between the two beds, reading an ancient looking book. Bobby thought he recognized it but didn't have time to follow that line of thought. "How are you?"

"Safe? Where is he?" Dean persisted. He was looking around, trying to figure out where he was. The metal walls and the bunks did little to clue him in. In the dim confines of the room, he picked out Derek and Nick sleeping on the bed. Things started to come back. They did little to help because they were all disjointed and fuzzy.

"He's in trouble but we're dealing with it," Bobby admitted.

"Trouble? What kind of trouble?" Dean demanded as he tried to sit up. The movement awoke several other pains he hadn't realized he had. The air whooshed out of his lungs as embers of pain flared to full-fledged forest fires.

"Lay down, boy. You need to rest," Bobby said as he tried to force Dean back onto the bed. All ready the kid was trembling with fatigue.

"Where's Sam?" Dean repeated. He resisted Bobby's attempts and tried to climb out of the bed. This wasn't making any sense and he needed to go find his brother.

"We're on a ship on our way back to the States. Sam's been infected by a werewolf, so have you. There's a serum but Sam's pretty far gone so it's taking longer than we'd hoped. We've had to contain him until he's better," Derek said. He understood Bobby's need to protect the younger man. He'd do it himself where Nick was concerned. It didn't, however, assuage any of Dean's fears. He needed to know what was going on.

"Where is he?" Dean said. He was getting very frustrated. He trusted Bobby and Derek but not when it came to his brother. The only person he trusted with Sam was him. The two men exchanged looks before Derek nodded. They needed to let Dean see so he would know they were doing what was best for Sam.

"We'll take you to him," Derek said. The two older men helped Dean off the bed and carefully moved him out of the room toward the upper deck. Derek threw his jacket over the younger man as they stepped out onto the moon lit deck. It was cold. They were at sea. The captain hadn't wanted to wait in case the werewolves tried to attack them.

Cautiously on the pitching metal deck, the three men made their way toward the closest cargo container. Mac was sitting with his back up against it, a thick coat wrapped around him. He and the other Unit members were taking turns watching over the young man. The deck hands had been warned to stay away but they'd still had to shoo them away the first night. Curiosity would have more than killed them if they'd opened the doors.

"What the hell is this?" Dean demanded. He glanced at Bobby who had his right arm. He couldn't believe the older man would have allowed these people to put his kid brother in a metal container on a ship.

"We had to, Dean. He was unmanageable in the cabin. This was the safest place for him and for us," Derek said. He noticed that Bobby was staying quiet during all of this. He imagined it had more to do with shame than disagreeing with what they'd done.

"Open the door," Dean ordered. He stumbled away from the two men and leaned against the door. The metal was bitterly cold in the cool night air. The thought of Sammy being held inside this cold metal box was almost too much for him.

"How's he been?" Derek asked Mac. None of them had bothered to try to open the doors yet. That left Dean leaning against it and pounding on it weakly with his fist.

"Pretty quiet the last hour or so," Mac stated. He stepped up to the door and carefully swung it a few inches open. He shone a flashlight inside. Then he stepped back and handed the flashlight to Dean. "He's sleeping so you should be all right. Just be careful."

"He's my brother," Dean muttered as he stumbled inside. His body was trying to force him to rest but his mind wouldn't let him. These crack pots had his brother locked up like an animal. He wasn't about to let that continue.

Ignoring the men hovering at the door, Dean panned the flash light around. What he found broke his heart. Sam was curled up in the far corner, blankets wrapped around him trying to keep warm. Sam's face was pale and sweaty and looked oh so young.

"Sammy?" Dean said as he made his way to his brother. It took a few moments for Sam to react. Dean could see his breath in the cold air of the container. What the hell were they thinking?

"Dean," Sam breathed as he opened his blue-green eyes and found his brother behind the flashlight beam. Relief flowed through him. Dean was here, everything was going to be fine.

"What have they done to you?" Now that Dean was closer he could see the minor cuts and bruises on Sam's skin. Anger flared in Dean's heart, momentarily beating back the pain and weakness.

"They had to," Sam said. He reached up and helped his faltering brother down beside him. Sam could remember what happened when the werewolf had tried to come out. He was deeply ashamed that they'd all had to see that and try to deal with it. As much as he hated the container and was tired of being cold, he understood. The others had to make sure they were safe first. "I could have seriously hurt someone."

"That doesn't excuse it," Dean muttered. He allowed Sam to wrap the blankets around him too. If his brother was going to stay in here, so was he. It was less comfortable than his bed but he wasn't leaving Sammy out here alone.

"You shouldn't stay here," Sam said. He hated it in here alone and having his brother there made things so much better. His body heat alone was a luxury he hadn't had in the last several hours.

"Shut up and get some sleep," Dean groused. He felt his brother put his back against his. The two of them were asleep in a matter of moments.


	28. Chapter 28

_Hello!! If you're still reading this story, thank you for sticking with me. My muse comes and goes but I think you'll enjoy what its come up with. Thanks again for being patient!_

_Susanne_

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

Time passed quietly in the container. Bobby had taken a position just inside the door after piling a couple more blankets on top of the brothers. He watched over them while they slept, just in case.

Part way through the night, Andrew came into the bin. He was somewhat surprised to find that Dean was still there. He'd expected the man to have been taken back to his bunk. Trying to ignore the older man, he carefully injected Sam yet again with the serum. He was hoping that the younger man wouldn't have as bad a reaction as last time. At least inside the box there was some chance of containing him if it did happen.

"Is that really helping?" Dean asked. He'd woken up as soon as the doors creaked open and the tall, lanky scientist had stepped inside. Dean also knew that Bobby was standing at the entrance as well. The elder Winchester was exhausted but he still woke up every time there was a noise. He had to watch over his kid brother, after all.

"Yes, it is. It just takes a little time to create enough antibodies to be effective. That's what Sam's earlier reaction was caused by. His body is producing antibodies but not enough to stop him from completely changing," Andrew stated as he slid the covered syringe into his coat pocket. He was going to have to wait a few hours before he took blood samples.

"How are you feeling?" Andrew asked, looking Dean in the eye. It wasn't something he was very comfortable with. Andrew was used to dealing with scientific experiments, not people. It was the main reason he did what he did.

Dean took a moment to consider. Besides still being cold, Dean actually felt pretty good, although he was still weak. "I'm fine," Dean replied.

"You weren't infected for as long so you've recovered faster. Sam has been infected longer and has a weaker immune system. His body is going to have to fight longer to rid itself of the pathogens," Andrew said as he injected Dean as well. The older Winchester might be feeling better but the young scientist wasn't ready to call him cured.

"How much longer is this going to take?" Dean asked. He glanced over at Bobby. The older hunter was hovering. He was also dressed like Nanook of the North. For the first time Dean really noticed just how very cold it was in the container. A shiver ran through his body.

"It will take what it takes," Andrew hedged. "I honestly don't know. Your immune system was up to the task. Sam's isn't because of having the demon blood removed. If this had happened a year from now it probably wouldn't have been that big a deal."

Under the blankets, against Dean's side, Sam shifted a little. He was still sleeping soundly. That simple fact was setting off Dean's alarms. They were both trained hunters. If his little brother could sleep through getting an injection and having three people awake and talking around him, the kid wasn't doing well.

"Sammy?" Dean said as he shook his brother's shoulder. Sam moved a little more but didn't show any signs of waking up. His face screwed up a little as if a wave of pain passed through his long frame. "Sammy?"

The younger Winchester opened his eyes briefly to look up at his kid brother. Dean wasn't sure he was actually seeing him. Sam's eyes didn't really seem to be focusing in on him. Then Sam's body went rigid. A muffled scream slipped out from between clenched teeth as Sam's back arched off the ground.

"Sam!" Dean cried as he fought to keep his little brother's head from cracking against the metal bottom of the crate.

"What the hell?" Bobby demanded as he tried to move in to help. The kid was tall and lanky which made it very hard for the two men to try to restrain him.

"It's a side effect," Andrew shouted over the grunts and moans coming from Sam. He too dove in to try to keep the young man from injuring himself. "His body is fighting the infection."

The seizure felt like it lasted for an eternity. In actual fact it was closer to two minutes. One second Sam was rigid as a board, the next he slumped to the ground. The youngest Winchester heaved great lungfulls of air now that his muscles were working better.

"How often is this going to go on?" Dean asked. He wiped Sam's sweat soaked bangs out of his slick face. His kid brother was covered in a thin sheen of sweat that was rapidly cooling his body temperature in the confines of the crate. Sam's head was lolling against Dean's side, his blue-green eyes closed, while his face looked even younger than before.

"I don't know," Andrew stated. He was sitting against the far wall of the crate, trying to catch his own breath. Trying to hold Sam down had been remarkably like trying to ride a mechanical bull on the 'extreme' setting. During the whole time Andrew had watched Sam's face, to see if he was having too much trouble breathing. He was relieved to see that Sam's lips hadn't turned blue so there wasn't the threat of lack of oxygen and brain damage.

"We need to get him back inside," Bobby said. As he watched, a shiver passed through Sam's long frame and his teeth began to chatter. The seizure had taken a lot out of him when his body was all ready in a weakened state. "It's too damned cold in here."

"At this point I think you're right," Andrew stated. Dean had pulled his kid brother into a firm embrace, trying to warm him up. It didn't appear to be working very quickly. Standing up, Andrew moved to the mouth of the crate and spoke briefly with Mac.

OOOOO

The world was pitching and swaying. Somehow that didn't seem quite right. With a groan, Nick Boyle forced his eyes opened and stared uncomprehending at the metal frame above his head. Where was he? The last thing he fully remembered was being in the cell with Sam. There were other images but they were unfocused and hard to follow.

"What the hell?" Nick breathed. He hurt. A lot. In too many places to count. He remembered Sam turning into a werewolf and throwing him around, which accounted for a good portion of his aches and pains. It didn't, however, explain all of them.

"We're on board a ship, on our way back to the States," Derek said from beside him. Nick barely managed to keep from jumping out of his skin. He'd been so intent on staring at the bed frame above his head, Nick hadn't realized there was anyone else in the room.

"Where're Sam and Dean?" Nick asked immediately. He needed to know where the brothers were, to know that they were safe.

The door to the bunk room banged open, forestalling further conversation. Mac, Bob, Bobby and Dean scrambled inside the room, a semiconscious Sam suspended between them. As carefully as they could manage, the four men deposited Sam on the bunk beside Nick. Derek had to move quickly to get out of the way.

"How's he doing?" Nick asked as he pried his protesting body out of the bunk far enough to sit up. The world swayed again and nausea assailed his senses but he forced both sensations down. Nick wanted to make sure that Sam was all right.

"He had a seizure," Dean stated as Bobby helped hoist him up to the top bunk. It killed the senior Winchester but he didn't have the strength at the moment to do it himself. Just the short walk across the deck and down a couple of flights of stairs carrying his brother's shoulder had left him feeling completely wiped out. "We're trying to get him warmed up again."

"How are you?" Nick asked as he looked up at the older brother. Dean was the tougher of the two, or at least he liked to think so, but at the moment he looked pale and young. A quick glance at Sam showed pretty much the same thing. Damn Nick suddenly felt old.

"Fine," was the automatic response. Then Dean looked down at Nick's slightly green, tired looking face. For the first time in a very long time Dean felt very young and vulnerable. He was scared shitless about his brother and he wasn't currently in a position to do much for him. He knew Nick would do anything for them. That very fact, that Dean knew Bobby, Nick and Derek, for that matter, would risk their lives for Sam that allowed him to drop his guard. Long enough to get feeling more like his usual self. "Tired, weak."

"Yeah, I can relate to that. Why did Sam have the seizure?" Nick asked. He was watching while Bob, Bobby and Mac made sure that he was well situated in his bottom bunk. While Nick hadn't expected to see the two Unit members, somehow it didn't really surprise him. The last few days, the security expert was learning to expect anything.

"It's a side effect of the serum Andrew made to counteract the werewolf virus," Bobby stated as he tucked three blankets up under Sam's chin. Slipping Sam's nearest hand out from under them, he began to rub the limb, trying to increase the kid's circulation. "He seems to think it isn't something to sorry about. I'm not so sure I believe him."

As if to prove the point, Sam moaned and went rigid as another seizure took hold of his body. Sam's back arched off the bunk and a low keening sound erupted from his clenched teeth. The youngest Winchester's eyes were tightly shut so it was hard to know if the sound was being made consciously or not. Either way, it set everyone's teeth on edge.

At least this time they didn't have to try to restrain Sam's long limbs. The seizure had tightened all of his muscles almost to the breaking point. Just when the men clustered in the room thought they couldn't take watching Sam's suffering any longer, the sound died as Sam's muscles loosened. Relief flowed through Dean's body as he watched Sam's body sag back down to the bed.

"This has got to stop," Dean muttered quietly to no one in particular. Feeling helpless and hating it, he watched as Bobby readjusted the blankets after giving Sam a few sips of water.

"I know it's awful to watch," Andrew said as he stepped into the room. "But it's actually a good thing."

OOOOO

Three days on the freighter and the seizures finally stopped. Each and every time Dean thought his heart would break. Sam was left weaker than anything Dean had experienced. Dean was starting to feel more up to his usual form but still not quite one hundred percent. Nick was still stiff and sore and moving slowly. He hated it but if he tried to ignore the pain it just got worse.

The Unit members were still doing rotating watches. So far it looked like they'd gotten away clean but none of them were willing to take a chance they were wrong. The ship's crew looked at the Americans curiously but didn't otherwise interact with them. The captain had told them something to keep them away but no one had the inclination to find out exactly what. So long as the crew did their jobs, the Americans were satisfied.

It was on the evening of the fourth day at sea, while Bob was keeping watch that things began to go south. With Sam's continued seizures, the crew was becoming more and more unsettled. Jonas noticed that they were breaking off into small groups when they weren't working. From the way they spoke quietly between themselves and occasionally looked at Jonas and his men, he knew something was up.

Climbing up to the wheel house, Jonas glanced over his shoulder at two crew members who were watching him with interest. He paused long enough to knock on the metal frame of the door before stepping inside.

"Is there something going on that we should know about?" the Unit leader asked as he faced the captain. He casually folded his arms across his chest but his right hand never strayed far from a concealed gun in his jacket.

"The sounds your friend is making upset the crew. I've told them not to worry, that nothing was going to happen to them, that they couldn't catch it. But a few narrow minded individuals are trying to stir up trouble," the captain stated. He'd been expecting the leader for the last few hours. He knew everything that had been going on wouldn't go unnoticed. "I've kept them calm for now. Do you know if the young one will be okay now?"

"The seizures seem to have stopped. He should be quiet now. Please try to convince your men that everything is fine. The last thing any of us need right now is for a fire fight to break out on your ship," Jonas said. He and his men went armed everywhere at this point and he was sure that Bobby and Dean were packing as well. Chances were good that Nick was as well but the Legacy member wasn't moving very well yet. Jonas wasn't sure he'd take the chance of carrying a weapon when he wasn't up to protecting it.

"That is a relief. Yes, I will tell the men. Things should quiet down now," the captain said as relief visibly permeated his body. Clearly the man had been under some stress about the situation. Jonas wasn't sure he blamed the crew. The sounds coming from the youngest Winchester had been gut- wrenching. And they'd known why it sounded the way it did. None of the crew did.

As Jonas turned to leave the wheel house, a large black helicopter seemed to appear in the air directly above the freighter. Within seconds, Jonas saw dark shapes drop down to the deck. They were being boarded.


	29. Chapter 29

_Thank you ever so much for sticking with me. I still have a block on this one but I promise to update it once a week. If the block goes away, I'll do it more often. I don't know that there will be that many more chapters to this one. But a sequel is a strong possibility. I have to deal with the werewolves after all. ;) I'm sorry that this update is so short but it was all that would come out and it seemed like a good place to stop._

_Thanks again to my faithful reviewers. You know I love you!!!_

_Susanne_

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

From his vantage point, Jonas relayed the information quickly to the other members of his unit. From the way the shadows were moving it didn't appear as if they wanted to take over the ship. The helicopter continued to hover ten feet off the side of the vessel.

The shadows were moving silently, as if the whole thing had been well planned. While he watched, Jonas noticed that they were concentrating on the storage containers. That didn't make a lot of sense to him until he realized they were looking for something or someone in particular.

"Get Andrew out of there," Jonas growled into his mouth piece. They were looking for the young scientist. He'd found a cure as well as a weapon that worked a little too well on them. Now Jonas had no doubt that the soldiers were werewolves. "Use the silver bullets and aim for the eyes."

OOOOO

That last statement sent shivers through Bob's body. He'd been hoping that the boarders were pirates. There had been a lot of that going on in recent months. The fact that they were searching for Andrew told him otherwise. Quickly, Bob rose from his crouch and darted across to the container where the young scientist's RV was parked.

Opening the large metal doors just enough to slip in, Bob made his way in the dark toward the lighted interior of the RV. Pulling the side door open, Bob cautiously stepped inside. It didn't appear that anyone had gotten this far yet but he wasn't going to take the chance. His gun gripped tightly in his left hand, Bob came around the corner. Andrew nearly dropped the petri dish he'd been holding over a flame, in surprise.

Bob held a finger up to his lips, indicating that the younger man stay quiet. Nodding his head in understanding, Andrew turned off the gas to the Bunsen burner and carefully placed the glass dish on the counter. Motioning to the tall, lanky young man, Bob told him to take off his white lab coat. It would stand out like a beacon.

Once he was convinced Andrew was dressed properly to go on deck in the cold, sea air. They may be out there for a while and he didn't want the kid blowing their position because his teeth were chattering. Checking carefully, Bob caught hold of the kid with his right hand and led him out of the RV and the container. He wanted to get back to Dean, Sam and Nick. They would be the next things the werewolves were looking for, of that he was sure.

"What's going on?" Andrew asked quietly. The fear rolling off the man was infectious, especially since Andrew knew the man rarely got scared. The deck of the ship was dark. He had to trust the other man to know where he was going because the scientist couldn't see more than a few feet in front of his face.

"We're being boarded. I want to make sure the others are safe," Bob whispered over his shoulder. Sporadic gunfire broke off to their left. Crouching lower, Bob dragged the scientist into the first portal he could find. They needed to get below and to the others ASAP.

OOOOO

The first indication that something was wrong was the muffled sound of gun fire. Instantly alert, Derek and Bobby armed themselves and took up positions on either side of the door. Dean, Nick and Sam were awake instantly. "What's going on?" Nick asked quietly. He was still sore beyond anything he'd ever felt before but if it came down to fighting, he had no doubt he could hold his own. Against humans.

"We're not sure," Derek admitted. He was scanning the hallway outside the window on the door but all seemed quiet. The gun fire was still very sporadic so it was hard to figure out where it was coming from and how many people were involved.

"One of us should go check," Bobby stated. He hated not knowing what was going on.

Just then, Bob and Andrew appeared in the hallway and then in front of the door. Slipping inside, Bob scanned the five worried faces and felt a little calmer. They were all here. That was a bonus at this point.

"We've been boarded. My unit and the ship's crew are using Andrew's bullets to try to repel them. I've been ordered to stay down here with you until the all clear signal is given," Bob informed them as Andrew shakily sat down on foot of Nick's bed. He hated feeling helpless but he hated feeling like a target even more.

The bunk room was crowded. If anyone did get this far it would make hand to hand combat very difficult. However, the passage outside the door went to the right and the left and Bob wasn't prepared to leave the others undefended. He knew the hunters and the Legacy members were perfectly capable of defending themselves but Bob was too used to depending on himself and the other members of his unit.

"Is it the werewolves?" Sam asked. The convulsions had slowed to a crawl. He felt a little more like his usual self but still incredibly weak. It was even worse than when the Legacy had removed his demon blood. He hadn't thought that was possible.

"Yes," Bob replied. He had the door open and was anxiously scanning both ways. On his ear piece he could listen to the conversations of the other members of his unit. The firefight was becoming intense. The werewolves had discovered anew that they were vulnerable to Andrew's rounds and they didn't like it.

"We could go help," Bobby suggested. He didn't like being treated like a liability.

"Jonas will let us know if he thinks he needs help," Bob stated. All they could do at the moment was wait.

OOOOO

The fight was beginning to turn their way. Jonas and his men were running a flanking position against the werewolves. The rounds Andrew had created were very effective, especially when used in a head shot. The fact that the werewolves could die had sent them into a bit of a tizzy. It caused them to retreat at first.

Jonas noticed that one of the werewolves did not seem to be quite as primitive as the others. He was clearly the leader. If they could take him out, chances were the other minions would retreat permanently. Unfortunately, the other werewolves used their own bodies to protect him. That meant taking out nearly all of them first.

"How many more of them are there?" Mac grated from Jonas' right.

"Too many," Charlie responded. He'd been keeping track of the number of rounds they had left. They were running out.

"Concentrate on the one that keeps hanging in the background. Mac, you take pot shots at the helicopter with regular rounds," Jonas instructed. He and Charlie moved so they had a better vantage point and continued to take random shots. For his part, Mac moved around to the other side of the wheel house, switched out the magazine in his gun and began taking shots.

The helicopter that had been sitting quietly along the side of the vessel began to take evasive manoeuvres when Mac began shooting at it. That seemed to unnerve the werewolves that were left. The fact that the leader of the expedition realized he was being targeted didn't help. Finally, giving up, he called the half breeds that were left to return to the helicopter. They were going to have to go about this in another way.

OOOOO

"They're gone," Bob announced. He could see the other men visibly relax, much as he had. Nick had gotten his protesting body up into a sitting position. He glanced around at Dean and Sam. Both of the Winchesters were pale but Dean looked like he was ready to rip someone apart.

"Good, now what?" Dean growled. He was tired of lying around on the bunk. Some of his energy had returned and left him full of nervous energy. He hopped out of his bunk and checked on his brother. Sam didn't seem to be handling the forced rest any better than he was. At the moment, Dean's kid brother looked like a spoiled three year old. He had his arms folded across his chest and Dean could have sworn that Sam's bottom lip was sticking out.

"We get the hell home," Bob replied. They were over half way there. Now that Sam seemed to be on the mend, he just wanted to get back on American soil as soon as they could.

"Sounds good to me," Bobby growled. "How fast can this tub go?"


	30. Chapter 30

_Well, it's a little short. But at least I got it out fast, right? Thank you to my faithful reviewers. You know you make my day each and every time!! _

_Enjoy!_

_Susanne_

CHAPTER THIRTY

Two days later, the Winchesters were on deck. Dean was working out now that he was feeling a little more energetic. For his part, Sam tried to keep up but ten yards across the deck and he was exhausted. The last thing he wanted was to collapse in front of his brother while Dean did push ups on the cold metal deck but he wasn't sure how much longer he could remain standing.

"Bobby?" Sam called out. He tried to hide the panic in his voice but he wasn't entirely successful. Instantly concerned, the old hunter practically sprinted to the tottering young man's side. Dean had pried his body off the deck and was also trying to reach his kid brother but Bobby beat him to him.

"What's wrong, kid?" Bobby asked. Without waiting for a response, Bobby slipped Sam's arm over his shoulders and took a portion of the kid's weight. He'd practically seen Sam's knees knocking together with fatigue.

"Nothing," Sam responded defensively. He was relieved beyond measure to feel Bobby up against his side, keeping him from falling on his face. Lifting his head up, he looked at his older brother through his too long chestnut brown bangs. Shame burned through him that Dean was seeing him so damned weak. It felt like Dean had had to baby him forever now.

"Well, let's get you down below," Bobby suggested. He waved Dean off. He could see that Sam was having a moment. The kid had been having a lot of moments of late. Now that he wasn't turning into a half-breed werewolf, Sam was weak as a kitten. Bobby wouldn't trade the two situations for anything.

"No. I'm not ready to go back down there," Sam said. He felt like a kid and it bugged the hell out of him. "Just get me over to the steps, okay?"

"Sure, kid. Whatever you want," Bobby responded. Standing a few feet away, Dean watched as the old hunter helped his brother over to the steps that led up to the wheelhouse. While Dean was ecstatic that he was beginning to feel like his old self, he hated seeing his brother so weak and vulnerable. He knew that Sam hated it even more so he decided to leave the ministrations up to Bobby. At least Sam didn't growl at him when he helped.

Not bothering to ask if they needed his help, Nick slid Sam's other arm over his shoulders. It was almost comical to see the two shorter men trying to gently manhandle the too tall Sam to the stairs and carefully sit him down on the third step from the bottom. Satisfied that Sam was settled, Nick headed below. It had disconcerted him to feel Sam shaking like a leaf against his side.

"You need to take it a little slower, kid," Bobby stated. He knew Sam was trying to keep up with his big brother. What Sam wasn't taking into account was the fact that Dean hadn't been as sick as him and had taken the cure earlier. It only made sense that he was recovering quicker.

"This sucks, Bobby," Sam grated. Sitting on the metal step, chilled to the bone and feeling like he'd swam the Atlantic Ocean, Sam watched as Dean continued to work out. Not even the sun was helping to warm him up but Sam had had enough of the cabin for a little while. The place was becoming claustrophobic the longer he stayed there.

"I know, Sam. Be patient. You'll get your energy back," Bobby tried to reassure the youngest Winchester. He hated seeing Sam suffering so. But he wasn't about to let the kid sit on his laurels either. Once he was sure Sam was ready, he was kicking in him the ass and getting him working out as well. There wasn't going to be too much sympathy.

Nick came back, two blankets in his arms. He wrapped one around Sam because the kid was still shaking like a new born colt. The other one he set down beside the kid, just in case he needed it.

"How long til we get home?" Bobby asked. He was itching to get back to his junk yard. There both boys would have the time they needed to recuperate.

"We dock tomorrow night. Bob and his friends are keeping watch but we don't really expect any trouble until then," Nick responded. He glanced up at the wheelhouse. Derek was inside with the captain. The San Francisco Precept was contacting Rachel and Alex, trying to arrange things for their disembarkation. It suddenly seemed like it have been a lifetime since the security expert had seen either woman. Glancing at the back of Sam's head, though, he didn't regret anything he'd done.

"I thought we were supposed to be going at top speed?" Bobby stated. When all you saw was water on all sides, time seemed to stand still.

"We are. Don't worry, we'll be there soon enough," Nick responded. Sam pulled the blanket a bit tighter around his shoulders and watched his brother while a sense of melancholy tried to settle over him. He shrugged it off. The last thing he needed at the moment was to feel sorry for himself.

OOOOO

The dock was deserted. At this time of night, that didn't really surprise the captain or any of the other crew. It was why they'd chosen this particular dock in the first place. It did, however, set the Unit members' nerves on end and had the rest of them a little on edge as well.

Jonas had his men spread around the ship, keeping an eye out for trouble. Derek, Nick, Bobby and the Winchester brothers were gathered in the access way, their meagre luggage piled out around them. They were still inside the ship. None of them were feeling up to being used for target practice if someone was on the dock.

As they stood watching, three large, black SUVs pulled up beside the ramp. Derek could sense the hunters tense up. Smiling, he decided to burse their bubble. "Don't worry, Alex and Rachel arranged for them. I don't know about you but I don't plan on walking all the way to San Francisco."

"You don't really expect us to drive all the way there, do you?" Nick asked. He hated sounding like he was whining but after spending the days aboard ship the thought of spending more days within the confines of a car made his joints ache.

"No. Alex has booked flights for all of us but we still need to get to the air port," Derek stated.

Further conversation was pre-empted by the all clear signal from Jonas. Quickly, the group headed down the ramp and made their way to the vehicles. Derek knew Bobby didn't agree with the plan but until they dealt with the werewolves, he wasn't willing to let the three men out of his sight. Grumbling like a bear climbing out of a cave in the spring, Bobby had finally agreed.

Their luggage stowed in the back of the SUV's Jonas, Charlie and Mac climbing into the drivers' seats. Sam and Dean were supposed to each take up positions in the back of the SUV's so they could spread out and relax. Well, that didn't go very well. It wound up being Sam, Dean and Bobby in the middle vehicle with Jonas driving. The lead vehicle had Charlie at the wheel, Bob riding shotgun and Nick in the back. The vehicle bringing up the rear had Mac, Andrew and Derek in it.

Quickly, the vehicles pulled away from the ramp and made their way toward the streets, several buildings over. They had to pass between two large warehouses along a narrow, one lane road. Jonas knew it was a bottle neck but there was no other way to reach the road. As the lead vehicle was about to exit the road, a large container fell across it, stopping it. At the same time, another container fell across the back of the road, effectively boxing them in.

The Unit members immediately jumped out of the vehicle, rifles in their hands, scanning the rooftops around them. The others tumbled out as well, hand guns raised and pointing in all directions at once.

"Put your weapons down," a deep voice with a German accent boomed through the air.

"Why should we do that?" Jonas demanded. He knew they were in trouble but he wasn't ready to give up, not just yet.

"If you don't, we will injure these two men," the voice stated. At either end of the road, two figures emerged. Then a light shone from above them. Derek cursed. It was Tyler and Jacob. Each man was being held tightly by a half breed werewolf. The werewolves were bending their heads to the side and were baring their teeth. The indication that they were going to bite the men was clear.

"Who are they?" Jonas asked. The brothers shrugged their shoulders. Dean hadn't really been aware enough to recognize the Frankfurt Legacy members although they seemed vaguely familiar. A lot of the time in Frankfurt was a little on the fuzzy side to the elder Winchester. And Sam had absolutely no clue.

"The dark haired one is the Legacy Precept in Frankfurt. The blond one is a Legacy member from Frankfurt as well. They helped to save Sam and Dean," Bobby growled. This was not good, not good at all.


	31. Chapter 31

_Hi. No, I haven't forgotten about this story, honest. My usual excuse of my muse is all too true. I want to stay true to this story and not ruin it with crap chapters. If you'll be patient, I will continue this as my muse appears. I can't promise it'll be weekly but I will update as things occur to me. This story is just about done. But, I am all ready formulating the sequel. Kind of a this version of Supernatural meets my story 'Past Times'. I won't be covering exactly the same territory but you'll have to wait and find out how it's different!! (At least I hope you'll be waiting!). So, please be patient. I promise I'll get there._

_Susanne_

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

"What do you want?" Derek called out. He'd climbed out of his vehicle. The Unit members refused to let Nick, Dean, Sam or Andrew join them. At least inside the vehicles, the injured and unprepared would be safer than making themselves into targets.

"We want the specifications for the bullets you used against my people. As well, we want the formula for the serum you are using to heal the infected," the German voice said. It was hard to tell which one was talking. There were too many shapes among the shadows and in the alley the voice seemed to be coming from everywhere.

While that didn't seem like unreasonable demands, Derek wasn't sure he was ready to just give in. He knew that Jacob and Tyler were willing to die for the Legacy. All the members were. But he wasn't sure if this was a worthwhile reason to allow them to die. Damn he wished he could talk to Jacob so he could find out what his preference was.

"What do you intend to do with them if we hand them over?" Derek pressed. He needed as much information as he could get while trying to stall the werewolves. They all needed time to think.

"That is our business," the werewolf growled.

Listening to the exchange between the werewolf and the Precept, Bob pulled a long barrelled rifle out of the back of his SUV and aimed it at the shadow hovering behind Jacob. In his earpiece he heard Jonas ask, "Does anyone have a shot?"

"I have the one on Jacob," Bob muttered. He didn't want his voice to travel to the too large ears of the werewolves.

"Don't take it. We need to see what happens first," Jonas said into his earphone. Before Bob had a chance to respond, a powerful hand grabbed hold of his rifle and wrest it from his grip. Turning, the Unit member was immediately caught by a set of very powerful hands and forcefully pressed against the vehicle behind him. Momentarily stunned, Bob didn't have a chance to stop the creature from ripping the earpiece out of his ear.

"You're mine," the werewolf breathed into Bob's ear. It took a second or two for Bob's eyes to focus. He found he was being held rather securely by a man that stood a good six inches taller than he would if he was touching the ground. He was massive with wild hair. In the shadows of the alley he couldn't make out the man's face. If it was a man at the moment. Straining against the hands holding him in place, Bob was completely unprepared for the werewolf to pull him away from the vehicle and then slam him back into it.

"You are mine," the werewolf reiterated. He pressed up against the human. He loved to feel them squirm.

"Bob?" the earpiece crackled just as the werewolf stepped on it.

Instantly Jonas knew something was very wrong. He turned toward where he knew Bob should be. In the darkness he couldn't see anything but he could hear heavy breathing as Bob continued to struggle. Then there was a muffled groan.

Mac moved over toward the sound. Things were going from bad to worse.

"We need a chance to think about it," Derek hedged. He was aware that things were going on around him but he had to stay focused on the disembodied voice out in the darkness. He could just see Dean and Sam in the next vehicle. Neither boy appeared to be happy about Bobby keeping them inside it. He knew from personal experience of trying to keep Nick inside as well.

"You have one minute," the voice stated.

"You're very generous," Derek grumbled as he headed toward the vehicle Andrew was in. They were the young genius's discoveries. He had the right to choose how they were used.

OOOOO

Coming around the corner of the vehicle, Mac flashed a light to get a quick look of what was going on. He would have preferred night goggles but for some reason no one had thought to bring any. What he found made his blood run cold. Bob was being pressed against the side of the SUV one armed by one of the largest people the Unit member had ever seen. In the other hand the man had hold of Sam. Dean was frantically trying to dislodge the giant but he was worse than ineffectual. The man was just too damned strong.

As soon as the werewolf saw Mac and his gun, it let go of Sam, pushed Dean out of the way at the same time and then dragged Bob between himself and the Unit member. The message was clear. If Mac was going to shoot him, he'd have to shoot Bob first.

"What's going on?" Jonas asked over the earphone. He hated not being able to see.

"One of them has Bob. He's holding him between us so I can't take a shot. It also dragged Sam and Dean out of the vehicle. Apparently this had been a very new development because Bobby raced around the SUV, coming up behind the werewolf. It was a tricky shot. Hoping desperately he didn't hit Bob, Bobby shot two rounds at the werewolf's back before it had a chance to react to his presence.

The first shot ripped into the werewolf's shoulder. The second one hit it in the neck as it started to turn toward the threat. Bob was covered with warm blood as it began to bleed out. Frustrated at its own imminent death, the werewolf caught hold of Bob's still splinted arm and began thrashing him against the vehicle. Luckily, Bobby had hit the creature's jugular. As a result, it only managed to smash Bob into the rear driver's door of the SUV twice before it slumped to the ground on top of the Unit member. Then it began to howl until all of the air disappeared from its lungs and it died.

"Help me get it off of him," Mac hissed as he waded in to try to pull the oversized man off of his friend. Bob was unconscious after the beating he'd just sustained. Charlie, Nick, Jonas, Andrew and Derek came around the side of the SUV to see what the shots were all about.

Bobby and Dean moved in to help Mac. Sam had slumped to the ground by the vehicle. The sudden appearance of the werewolf and its apparent need to bite him again had sent the youngest Winchester into the beginnings of a panic attach. His very first experience with the debilitating attach and hopefully his last one. Sam was sitting with his head between his knees. At the moment it felt like there wasn't enough air in the world to satisfy his oxygen starved lungs.

"I need your answer," the werewolf in charge demanded. He knew one of his half breeds was dead. The howl had confirmed that but he couldn't really blame them for defending themselves. Some of the half breeds were a little jittery, all too willing to risk their lives to have a little fun.

"Can they reproduce the ammunition and serum from your work?" Derek asked. He was watching as Nick, Dean and Bobby tried to straighten out Bob now that they had the werewolf off of him. Andrew was standing beside Derek, trembling with fear or cold.

"If they have a lab or someone with any experience with weapons then certainly," Andrew stated. His voice was surprisingly strong. "If they really want it, give it to them. It won't hurt anything because they could reverse engineer it anyway."

Derek wanted more time to consider but the werewolf wasn't going to give it to them. To prove its point, the werewolf holding Jacob caught hold of the man's right shoulder and easily dislocated it. Jacob nearly collapsed as the pain registered. The werewolf held him up by his left arm and chuckled darkly.

"The next time, Falco will rip Jacob's arm off completely," Alexander Petersen stated as he stepped out into the light. "If you don't want that to happen, please, step forward. If you don't we may have to increase out demands to include the person who created them."

"I don't have the paperwork with me. It's in my lab. It's being transported to San Francisco as we speak," Andrew said quietly. He was looking around the ring of men. Jacob was as close to a father as the young genius had. To lose him would be devastating. Andrew's world was swimming around his mind. Trying to center it without Jacob as its anchor was overwhelming to the young man.

"When did the freight container leave?" Derek demanded. He'd seen the activity going on while they made their final arrangements. He hadn't realized that one of the containers had held Andrew's RV. But then he hadn't been paying that much attention to what Alex and Rachel had arranged. Up until this moment, though, it hadn't been important.

"An hour ago," Jonas responded. He'd seen to the loading of the freight container onto a flatbed trailer himself. He knew how delicate things inside the vehicle were and had wanted to see that it was properly cared for.

Taking a deep, centering breath, Derek broke away from the others and stepped toward Alexander. Nick moved to block his friend and boss but Derek shook him off. "This needs to be done," Derek stated as he gently pushed the smaller, younger man back towards the others.

"We have a problem," Derek called out to the werewolves. He felt like he was stepping into the lions' den.

"You have more than one at the moment," Alexander stated, a laugh beneath his voice. He looked down at the humans in the alley from his position on the roof of one of the buildings. The brothers were most amusing. He loved the way the older one kept trying to protect his little brother. What the older brother didn't know was that even now, the little brother was more than capable of protecting them both. He just hoped the younger man continued to feel weak until after their business was concluded. He was more than willing to let all of the humans go if he could get hold of the information he sought. It would revolutionize their world. It absolutely burned him that humans were responsible.

Silently, he watched as the San Francisco Precept walked over the roof toward him, two of Alexander's half breed security flanking him. Apparently the man had gotten tired of shouting, for that Alex was thankful.

"What kind of problem are we talking about?" Alexander demanded. He grinned. The man seemed so old and puny now that he could look at him up close. It surprised him slightly since both Jacob and Tyler had appeared so intimidated by the man.

"Andrew says that the information you have requested is not with him. It's in a freight container on its way to the San Francisco house. We don't have what you want," Derek stated. He'd considered trying to come up with a more original story but given the werewolves' extraordinary sense of smell he'd know if Derek was lying. Besides, it was kind of like 'my dog ate my homework'. At this point only the truth might save them.

"You're joking?" Alexander said. He could tell that the man was telling him the truth but he just couldn't believe it. Who in their right mind leaves the formulas to such things inside a freight container? Seeing the fear reflected in Derek's eyes, Alex decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. "What are you proposing?"

"We have the rounds and the serum. We can give you that and you can reverse engineer it," Derek suggested. It sounded better than waiting for the container to reach Angel Island. He glanced down at Jacob and then Bob. They had enough injured. They certainly didn't need any more.

Alexander paused to think. Given the options available to him, this would have to do. The next part of the discussion was going to be a little touchier. "All right, that will suffice. Now, there is the business of the half breed you stole from us," Alexander stated.

"Sam is not a half breed any more. He's been getting the serum since we got on board the ship," Derek jumped in. He knew Nick wouldn't leave without the boy. He wasn't sure he would either. Unconsciously, he looked down at the brothers. There was something about them, something almost vulnerable in a rugged, tough kind of way. They were men in their own right but also exuded a need to have father figure. Derek almost half hoped he'd been a candidate for that position. Nick was too young and more of an older, more experienced brother. Between the four of them, they could kick some major supernatural butt so long as the ghosts', demons' or vampires' net worth wasn't enough to cripple an entire country's economy.

"He still smells like a werewolf," Alexander stated. The older brother only had a vague twinge of werewolf scent Sam still virtually bathed in it.

"Thanks to your people he was infected longer so it only makes sense that it would take longer for the serum to fight the infection," Derek stated in response. "How are we going to go about this?"

"Give it to the werewolf holding Jacob. I've always liked the man. He never really accepted the rules attached to the Frankfurt house. Maybe he will have less trouble adjusting here in America," Alex stated somewhat conversationally.

"Jacob and Tyler are both good men. You were lucky to have them in Frankfurt. The next people the Legacy assign there might not be as good," Derek said as he headed back across the roof.

Not bothering to respond, Alex turned back toward the scene below. Jacob was barely vertical any more. Humans were such fragile things. It was truly amazing that they'd managed to survive on this planet as long as they had.

OOOOO

Back down on the ground, Derek explained quickly to Andrew the bargain they'd made. The genius agreed far too quickly. He moved off to the vehicle he'd been in to find the samples Derek required. The Precept was sure he saw deep relief in the kid's eyes. Behind him, Sam had begun to recover from his panic attach. Having so many werewolves so close would have caused him to short circuit too, he felt sympathy for the tall young man.

"How are you feeling?" Derek asked as he looked at the Winchesters. Nick was hovering beside them now that Bob had been placed inside the vehicle. Derek knew his security expert wasn't quite at one hundred percent but that wasn't going to stop him.

"Fine. Can we please get out of here?" Sam asked. He looked like a tall, strapping, self confident young man but his voice came out sounding very young. Clearly he hated their present company.

"Hopefully soon, Sam," Derek stated. Andrew returned with a vial of serum and six rounds. He didn't want to give them too much to work with. "Thank you, Andrew. I'll be back with Jacob in just a moment."

Walking over to the werewolf holding Jacob upright, Derek handed him the samples and then had to scramble as the werewolf basically dropped the Precept. Jacob was barely conscious. They were going to have to stop off at a hospital on their way to the air port. Wouldn't be the first time. "Take it easy, Jacob. We'll get you to help soon enough," Derek breathed as he carefully hauled the younger man back toward the vehicle.

As he moved, Derek heard the sound of engines revving, followed by a deep rumbling as the two containers at the end of the alley were removed. At least the werewolf was true to his word. Tyler came running up from the other end of the alley and moved in to help Derek. He hadn't seen what had happened and so was completely unprepared for Jacob crying out when he touched his dislocated shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Jacob," Tyler breathed. He'd honestly expected that they were both not going to survive their ordeal with the werewolves. It felt kind of strange to know that they were alive.

"Just get us the hell out of here," Jacob hissed. "The smell of wet dog is giving me a headache."


	32. Chapter 32

_Hi! See, I haven't forgotten this story. It just took until this morning while I was lying in bed to get inspiration. Somehow that always seems to be the best place to think of ideas. Anyway, I am getting closer to wrapping this story up (as far is it is going to go at this point). I plan on continuing on with a run in with Marcus and his sister but my other story "Past Times" did not happen. Hopefully that makes sense. Past Times is a stand alone story, I just happened to drag Sam and Dean along for the ride, among others. The new story will start where this one leaves off. Then I'm thinking of continuing on with the werewolves. After all, there's no way Nick, Derek, Sam, Dean or Bobby would really walk away knowing there's a nest of werewolves around kidnapping and transforming people. I haven't lost sight of that, honest._

_Well, I hope you enjoy the new chapter. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me. I hope to have the next chapter up soon._

_Susanne  
_

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

Piling into the SUV's, Mac driving the lead one, Jonas giving him directions while he spoke on his cell phone, they set off again. In the middle SUV, Jacob and Bob were both trying to deal with the pain of their injuries. Jacob wasn't doing as well as Bob. Every dip in the road, every bump sent a stabbing pain from his elbow, up his shoulder, to his ribs. Bob was battered and had a massive headache building but he remained quiet, bracing his body in the corner of the back seat. It seemed to help.

"How are you doing back there?" Derek called over the seat toward the back. He wound up driving the middle car. Sitting in the seat beside him was Nick. His second in command had been unusually quiet. Nick stared outside the window, chewing distractedly on his bottom lip.

"How much further is it?" Bob asked. He kept glancing over Andrew toward Jacob. The man was in a great deal of pain. He saw it ripple across Jacob's face every so seconds. The man was pasty in appearance and sweat had broken out over his face.

"I'm not sure," Derek admitted. "My plan went by the wayside when the werewolves ambushed us. At the moment I'm just following Jonas's lead."

"They let us go too easily," Nick stated. He was still staring out the window.

"That is a distinct possibility," Derek agreed.

"Alexander Petersen is a man..." Jacob practically choked on the word. "of his word. He got what he came for. He'll leave us alone so long as we leave him alone."

"Are you willing to bet your life on that?" Nick asked.

"I all ready did," Jacob responded.

OOOOO

In the rear SUV, Bobby was ready to strangle both Winchesters. Sammy was being very insecure. The older hunter wasn't sure if Sam was feeling weak again, always a possibility, or if he was having an identity crisis. Never a happy thought.

Dean, on the other hand, was supremely pissed off that they'd let the werewolves get the better of them and then just let them go. He was ready to jump out of the moving SUV, go back there and 'beat some ass'. All in all, Bobby felt like he was dealing with a couple of first graders.

"Would you sit your ass down and behave?" Bobby growled as he caught hold of Dean's shirt to pull him away from the door. Up front, Sam had curled in on himself. His long legs were drawn up to his chest, his arms were wrapped around them and his head rested on his knees. He looked like the poster child for hopelessness. It stuck in Bobby's craw. "You're not helping yourself or your brother."

"We just walked away, Bobby. I don't think I've ever walked away from a fight in my life," Dean growled. He was trying to get over Bobby to reach the door. It was killing him, knowing what the bastards had done to Sammy and just let them go. It wasn't in his nature.

"Well, you'd better get used to it," Bobby growled as he once again forced Dean back into the middle seat. At least the kid had the sense to not try to climb over Tyler on the other side. Bobby wasn't sure the Legacy member would be quite as gentle. The man looked like he was ready to pull the heads off small children as well. Clearly just leaving the werewolves wasn't sitting right with him either. On the other hand, Tyler might just let Dean get away. The Legacy member might even follow him.

"My dad didn't train me for defeat," Dean hissed through clenched teeth. He was currently considering climbing over the driver to get out of the vehicle. He knew Charlie wouldn't appreciate it but it was worth a try.

"You're not your father, Dean. Your first concern has always been your brother. Where's that concern now?" Bobby pushed. He kept glancing over at Sam. Something was very wrong with the kid. He hadn't looked up at his brother since clamouring into the SUV. Even Charlie glanced at him every once in a while.

"What are you talking about, Bobby?" Dean said, suddenly very still. Quickly, he glanced over his shoulder to the front seat. His heart skipped a beat. "Sammy?"

There was no response from the bundle of limbs that was his brother. No longer trying to climb over Bobby, Dean practically dove into the front seat. Catching hold of his brother's nearest shoulder, Dean tried to shake it, to get some kind of response. Nothing.

"Hey, man, be careful. I'm trying to keep this thing on the road," Charlie said. Dean was most of the way in the front seat now, facing his brother, trying to unwind his limbs. Gently, he placed his hand on the back of Sam's neck. It was cold and clammy. Damn.

"Come on, Sammy. You're scaring the hell out of me. What's going on?" Dean said. He carefully pried his brother's head off of his knees and tried to see into his face. Sam's eyes were tightly closed. His expression was that of pure misery. "Sammy?"

"I smelled them, Dean," Sam stated. Ashamed, he turned his head away from his brother to stare out the window. Tears were building in the corner of his eye that Dean could see and began tracking down the side of Sam's face.

"What are you talking about?" Dean asked gently. Sam looked like a little kid. His knees were still drawn up, as if to protect him from the world around him. His arms were still tightly wrapped around his legs, as if to add to the armour.

"Even after all the injections, I could still smell them," Sam said. He continued to watch the world pass by outside the window, not wanting to look at his brother. Dean could plainly see shame coloring his brother's pale cheeks.

"It doesn't mean anything. Even Andrew keeps saying that you're going to need the shots for a while longer," Dean tried to appease his brother. The tears continued their trek down the side of Sam's face. God, Dean hated it when Sammy cried, especially when he did it silently like this. When he made no noise, Dean knew it was coming from his soul, not his heart.

"When am I going to stop being a freak?" Sam asked quietly. He was painfully aware of the other sets of ears in the vehicle. He didn't want to have this conversation in front of them but the agony wouldn't stop.

"You're not a freak," Dean said. He still had a hand on the back of Sam's neck. Unconsciously, he began rubbing his thumb into the rigid muscles he found there. It was ritual from when Sam was young and became overwrought with emotion. It didn't happen often but rubbing the back of his neck had been the best, fastest way to calm him down.

"First I'm infected with demon blood. Now I'm a friggin' werewolf. How am I not a freak?" Sam pressed. They'd moved out of the warehouse district and were now moving through a residential area. Every five or six blocks Sam saw a hospital sign. That was the last place he felt like going.

"You're not a werewolf. That's what the shots are for," Dean said. They were pulling into a large parking lot filled with cars. Glancing out the window Sam was staring out of, Dean realized they were at the hospital.

"I'm not going in there, man. I've had enough of being poked and prodded all ready," Sam breathed. He was staring at the building as if it were possessed or something.

"It's okay. I think they're getting Bob and Jacob checked out. You don't need to go in. You and I will stay right here in the car," Dean said, his voice quiet. He was still rubbing the back of Sam's neck. He wasn't sure he'd ever be able to stop.

Charlie pulled the car up by the emergency entrance, right behind the other two SUV's. From the middle one, Bob and Jacob were ushered out and led toward the sliding doors. Putting his car in park, Charlie got out and headed for the front SUV. He wanted to talk to Jonas, to figure out what the new game plan was.

Concerned for his boss, Tyler scrambled out of the back seat and headed for the entrance. Seeing the opportunity, Dean slipped out the door, moved to the front and opened Sam's door. Bobby sat completely still and tried to become invisible. Dean's kid brother looked up at him with big, soulful, blue-green eyes. Feeling overwhelmed, Dean did the only thing he could think of. Forcing Sam's legs down, Dean pulled his kid brother into a bear hug, his chin resting on Sam's head, like when they were younger.

At first Sam stiffened. He hated it when Dean treated him like a child. At the moment, though, he felt kind of like one. Giving into the need, Sam leaned into his brother and held on for dear life. They stood that way for several minutes. Finally, Sam had the strength to pull away and wipe at the tears in his eyes. "Sorry," Sam mumbled, his head down.

Looking down at his wet shirt, Dean couldn't come up with anything to say. Mutely, he pressed his hand against the top of Sam's brown head. Then he climbed back into the rear seat, trying to not look at Bobby. The older hunter had an all too self satisfied smirk on his face.

"Not a word," Dean growled.

OOOOO

"So, what's up?" Charlie asked. He assumed Mac was inside with Bob. There was no way Jonas would let him go inside alone, even with Jacob and Tyler present.

"Colonel Ryan has found a transport plane for us. He's also found the truck with Andrew's RV inside. It's going to meet us at the airport," Jonas informed him. He was leaning against the front bumper of the SUV. He had his cell phone out, as if he was expecting it to ring at any moment.

"Are we being assigned to these guys?" Charlie asked. The whole business gave him the creeps.

"Just until we get them back to their island. Then we have new fish to fry," Jonas responded, a tight grin on his face. Charlie knew that look. It did not bode well.

OOOOO

Once the doctors in the ER had finished doing what they needed to do for the two men, Jacob and Bob signed out AMA (Against Medical Advice). Neither one was willing to stay in the hospital, even overnight for observation. This time Tyler piled into the second vehicle with Jacob. He wasn't letting his boss out of his sight. The doctors had popped his shoulder back into place and then wrapped it against his torso, to keep it there.

"Did they give you anything for the pain?" Tyler asked as he watched Jacob carefully sliding into the back seat of the SUV. The dark haired man was moving slowly, precisely, trying to keep the pain to a minimum.

"They tried," Jacob said, a wry smile curling his lips before a grimace overshadowed it. "I refused."

"Was that a smart thing to do? You're in pain. It's not likely to get better in the next few hours," Tyler stated. He had to help Jacob do up his seatbelt. He couldn't quite manage it one handed.

"I'm fine," Jacob said, settling his brown eyes on his blond subordinate.

"What's the plan?" Tyler asked, trying to change the subject.

"We are heading to San Francisco House on Angel Island. The American army men are going to have a plane waiting for us. I'm sending you back to Frankfurt. Someone who knows what's going on has to be there to run the Legacy House," Jacob said. He'd been briefed as he walked out of the hospital. Derek had arranged everything with Jonas.

"I'm not leaving you here alone," Tyler said, anger and fear flashing through his eyes.

"I'm not ready to travel. Even with pain killers I wouldn't be able to travel that long," Jacob stated. He dipped his head, unable to face his subordinate. He hated being injured. It made him feel far too damned vulnerable.

Looking at his boss closely for the first time, Tyler realized Jacob was right. The older man was barely hanging on. If they were to hit turbulence Jacob would nearly hit the roof. "Okay. When do I leave?"

OOOOO

The convoy pulled onto the tarmac of a medium sized commuter air port. There hadn't been any flights heading back to Europe that suited the Unit members. So Colonel Ryan had commandeered a plane to take Tyler to the next largest air port that had a flight going out. The smaller, sleeker plane was sitting on the tarmac, engines idling as it waited for its passenger.

Pulling to a stop, the three SUVs parked between the jet and a huge Army cargo plane. Within the belly of the plane, the travelers could see the familiar shape of Andrew's RV.

"We're travelling in that?" Bobby asked as he stared at the colossal air plane. It looked like it could carry several tanks. Somehow that didn't make him feel any better.

"Yeah," Mac stated as he walked by. The occupants of the vehicles had all climbed out. Bob was leaning against his SUV, trying to look okay while also trying to not pass out. He had three cracked ribs and bruises galore. The doctor had also been worried about a concussion but he'd had them before and wasn't especially worried.

"Will it fly with that thing inside of it?" Dean asked as he came to stand beside the older hunter.

"Not only will it fly, I can even show you how to jump out of it if you'd like," Nick said as he came up to join the two men. Behind him, he could feel Sam came up. The kid was wiped out again. He hoped that Sam would recover his strength soon, for Sam's sake as well as everyone else's. He didn't believe that the werewolves would just leave. Rich or not, they didn't seem to be the type to let people in on their world and allow them to live.

"No. Uh uh. I'm not flying in that thing," Dean said as he back pedaled into his baby brother. He'd been in the box the last time they'd flown and he hadn't known what was going on. The thought of willingly climbing into an air plane terrified him. He hated flying with a passion.

"Are you still afraid of flying?" Bobby smirked. "No wonder it takes you two forever to get anywhere."

"I'm not afraid of flying," Dean spit back. He tried to ignore the amuse smile on his brother's face. "Look, if we were meant to fly we'd have been born with wings."

"I can arrange that," Andrew stated from a few feet away. He was thrilled to be flying again. He got really tired of staying in the same place for more than a few months, hence the motor home.

"Shut up," Dean growled as he stared balefully at the huge air plane. It was going to be a very long day.


	33. Chapter 33

_I'm so very sorry that this has taken me so long. I'll do better on the next and last chapter for this story, honest!! I promise, cross my heart and hope to die!!! Well, hopefully anyway._

_Thank you every so much to eggylaine, sammygirl1963, masondixon, and REK222GO for your continued support. At least I hope you're still around, waiting. Hopefully not for too much longer though!! And LvSammy, thank you for your review. I know you found it late but I'm glad you enjoyed it anyway._

_I hope you enjoy the new chapter, I'm trying to tie up loose ends before I start the new story. PLEASE let me know what you think!!_

_Susanne_

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

The plan was loaded up with everything that was going but Dean was still standing at the foot of the ramp, staring up at the immense confines. He couldn't quite make his body walk up the ramp and climb inside. It just seemed so very wrong.

From the confines of the plane, Dean could see Bob and his friends sitting along one side on a wooden bench that ran the length of both sides. Jacob sat down over top of the wings of the plane. He was desperately hoping that if there was turbulence during the flight it wouldn't be so bad this close to the wings. At least that's what he'd heard somewhere. Flying didn't generally bother him so he sat anywhere he could find a seat, until now.

Nick was hanging by the foot of the ramp, waiting for Dean to climb inside. Behind Nick was Andrew. The kid was trying to not be too obvious, which of course made him very obvious to the hunter. Sam was sitting in the plane. He was too exhausted to deal with his brother's neuroses at the moment. Bobby was standing on the edge above the ramp, looking down at Dean who'd begun pacing. At any other time the fear rolling off the man in waves would have been amusing. Now, however, it was getting a little irritating.

"We only have a ten minute window for takeoff, Dean. You need to get inside," Derek stated. He was standing at the top of the ramp, waiting, trying to hide the smile that wormed its way onto his lips.

"I'll drive," Dean said as he stared up at the older man.

"You need to get in," Nick stated. He thought about just pushing the man up the ramp but knew it would result in one or both of them being injured.

"I'll drive," Dean repeated. Nick could almost see him shaking. At a loss, he glanced up at Sam, hoping for some guidance. The younger Winchester just looked at him and shrugged his shoulders.

"If you drive, it'll take two days minimum for you to reach San Francisco. Do you really want to leave Sam alone that long?" Nick pressed. Behind Dean he saw Andrew hold of a filled syringe. The younger man was asking for permission to drug the hunter. Hopefully that wouldn't be necessary. Ever so slightly, Nick shook his head no.

"You're there. You'll keep him safe," Dean said. The hunter's eyes were huge. It seemed so completely out of character for the man.

"I'm not you, Dean. Right now he needs his brother to be there when things get to be too much," Nick stated.

"Now that's not fair," Dean hissed as he turned to the shorter man. He hated it when people used the little brother card. It always won and was so damned frustrating.

"We need to leave. Now, you can go up there of your own free will OR Andrew is prepared to sedate you," Nick said. "The choice is yours."

"No way am I letting him jab me again," Dean growled, glancing at the younger man.

"Then you need to go up there on your own two feet," Nick said. A smile kept trying to cross his face. It was amusing as hell to see the tough Dean Winchester brought to his knees by an airplane, no matter how large.

Gulping audibly, Dean looked between the kid and the bowels of the plane. Damn, damn, damn. Did he give in to his fear and allow the kid to put him to sleep for the duration or did he swallow the panic trying to force its way through his mind and climb on board? Up inside the plane, he saw Sam watching him. Beside him sat Bobby. Clearly they both planned on going on the plane. If he stayed it would be a long, lonely trip to San Francisco. While that was something he was used to doing, it just didn't make sense. As much as he trusted Nick, Derek and Bobby to take care of Sam, no one could do it like he did.

Taking an explosive breath, Dean forced his wooden legs to take him up into the belly of the beast. As he moved, Dean ignored everything around him and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. After an eternity, he realized he'd reached the interior floor. His legs shaking like leaves, Dean bee-lined to his brother's side and sank gratefully to the wooden bench.

"That took a lot of guts," Sam stated, looking at his brother with renewed respect. He loved Dean and respected the hell out of him but for him to climb onto the plane without a job on board it was incredible.

"Shut up," Dean growled. His eyes were fixed on the floor and both hands were wound into thick straps that were hanging down the sides of the plane. It was a cargo plane and needed to have ways of controlling the cargo so it wasn't a huge surprise that the straps would be there. Dean was grateful for their presence because it kept his hands from shaking in his lap. That was something his pride wouldn't allow the Unit members to see. The hatch began closing. Dean fought the panic that was still trying to rise. When the hatch locked into place with loud clanks, Dean couldn't help but jump. Weren't they there yet?

OOOOO

It was far worse than the commercial plane Dean and Sam had had to fly a couple of years back. The roar of the engines as the pilot accelerated to the proper speed for takeoff was deafening. They hadn't even left the ground yet and all ready the passengers were being tossed around the interior a bit. Everyone was strapped in so it didn't cause any permanent damage but after the first three minutes, Jacob passed out. Sitting beside him, Derek tried to brace the man as they continued down the run way and then took flight.

"Shit, shit, shit," Dean swore under his breath. His eyes were closed, his teeth grinding against each other, and his hands still tightly wound up in the straps, Dean tried to remember to breathe. On one side of him he could feel Sam shaking in silent laughter. On the other side he could feel Bobby staring at the side of his face. Unable to stand it anymore, Dean forced his one eye open and glared at the older hunter. "What!??"

"What are you, six?" Bobby asked. He'd never seen Dean like this before. It was uncomfortable to watch, he was so close to losing it. Bobby was feeling the need to go ask about the maintenance history of the plane to make sure it wasn't going to fall out of the sky. "Would you relax? Idjit."

"Shut up, Bobby," Dean growled as he closed his eye again.

OOOOO

An hour into the flight and Dean was actually breathing without thinking about it. That was until they hit turbulence. It felt like God reached down, picked up the plane and shook it like a salt shaker. The occupants of the plane had kept their belts on still. The pilot had warned that they were going to run into some rough weather.

"Rough was a bit of an understatement, don't you think?" Dean grated as he held on for dear life. He wasn't even sure who he was talking to. It just felt better to hear his own voice, since neither Sam nor Bobby was talking.

"It's okay. These things are built to fly, remember?" Bobby groused. He really hated it when Dean went whinny on him. It was so unbecoming.

"If that's true, then why the hell do they crash so often?" Dean muttered. He glanced around the confines of the plane. Bob was looking a little uncomfortable but he assumed it had more to do with his injuries than the actual plane ride. The rest of the Unit were lounging in their seats or sleeping. Clearly none of them were too concerned. Somehow that didn't give Dean a good feeling.

Derek looked a little alarmed, while Nick too seemed unusually at ease with the plane bucking like a wild mustang. For his part, though, Jacob appeared to be just as comfortable as Dean. The eldest Winchester knew it had more to do with the man's shoulder than his ability to handle flying. But still, it made him feel a little better than he wasn't the only suffering on this trip.

As he watched, though, Dean saw Andrew move up beside his boss and indicate the syringe he still had. Jacob had to think about it for a moment. Then a particularly nasty jolt from the plane and the Frankfurt Precept had to nod in agreement. He didn't know how much more of the battering he could take. Even from this distance Dean could see that the man's pale face had a distinct shade of green to it. Quickly and efficiently, Andrew injected his boss with the sedative. Then he settled down to watch over him while Jacob slept.

"We're okay, Dean," Sam said from beside his big brother. He had noticed how Dean was busy searching the entire plane, looking for a way out.

"Famous last words," Dean grumbled as he tried to settle back in his seat. At least they had seat belts in this crate. Absently, Dean cinched his belt just a little bit tighter.

OOOOO

"Oh, thank God," Dean breathed as he descended the ramp. He was sure he'd lost a full decade of his life in the hunk of tin. Beside him, Sam and Bobby just smiled. Despite the turbulence, the flight really hadn't been that bad, although, both men regretted the lack of stewardesses and in flight meals.

"Derek!" a female voice shouted from the far end of the air strip. The passengers all turned toward the sound, the Unit members with their guns drawn. Across the way they could just make out two black SUV's. In front of the first one, a small blond woman was frantically waving her hands.

"It's okay," Derek called out to the others. "It's Rachel and Alex. I asked them to meet us here."

Within seconds the two SUV's made their way toward them. Derek and Nick were relieved to see that Alex was driving the second vehicle. Even Sam and Dean felt a little better knowing the two women were around. The introductions were made quickly. Jonas didn't want to spend any more time out in the open than absolutely necessary.

"There isn't enough room for all of you," Rachel said as she took in the large group. Her medically trained eye automatically searched out Jacob and Bob. She could tell the both men were injured. As well, she noticed that there was something not quite right about the youngest Winchester as well. Some things never seemed to change.

"We aren't travelling any further than the ferry," Jonas stated. A third SUV came racing across the tarmac. Derek and Nick looked to the Unit members to see if they should be concerned. Since Jonas was at ease, so were the rest of his team. "We've arranged for our own transportation."

"What about my RV?" Andrew asked as he watched his beloved home being backed out of the plane.

"You get to drive that," Derek stated. He had no intentions of trying to drive that thing. It was too big and had too many volatile chemicals inside.

"Cool," Andrew stated, instantly feeling happier. He'd had visions of his home being stored in an empty lot somewhere.

"What about getting that thing across on the ferry?" Nick asked as he reassessed the size of the vehicle. He wasn't sure the ferry could handle it.

"We'll figure something out. For now, let's get closer to safer ground," Derek stated. He glanced over at the still recovering Dean. The man really was too damned happy to be back on terra firma.

Quickly, the travellers piled into the three vehicles while the Unit members scattered among the vehicles, just in case. Then they were off.

"This has got to be one hell of a story, Derek," Rachel said as she glanced at the San Francisco Precept. It was very good to have him and Nick home again. It felt like an eternity since all the members of the San Francisco house had been under the same roof.

"Remind me to tell you about it some time," Derek responded as he sank down a little lower in the seat. It felt so damned good to be home.

"It's good to see you two. How have you been?" Rachel asked as she looked at the Winchesters in the back seat. Dean looked a little pale and stressed out but Sam looked even more worn out.

"That's another part of the story," Sam said, a crooked grin on his face. "I'll tell you all about it. After a hot shower, some food and some sleep."

"Well, I think we can manage that," Rachel said, turning her attention back to the road. "We'll talk about it in the morning."

OOOOO

The pilgrimage to Angel Island was decidedly anticlimactic. At this time of night, the roads they needed to travel were sparsely populated. The ferry for Angel Island didn't usually run at night but today they'd made an exception. Getting the two SUV's and the RV on the same trip were impossible. So, Nick stayed behind with Andrew's RV to bring across in the second trip while the others sorted themselves out into the SUV's. The Unit members watched silently from the road leading to the ferry. Their job was done the minute the ferry left the dock, for the second time.

"Where are you heading now?" Nick asked as he watched the ferry pull away with the two SUV's and their occupants on board.

"That's classified," Jonas stated. He was standing with the security specialist. Bob was in the SUV, in the driver's seat while Mac and Charlie were keeping guard. No use taking chances at this point.

"I had a feeling you were going to say that," Nick stated. "Does it have anything to do with our friends in Germany?"

"What part of 'classified' did you not understand?" Jonas asked good-naturedly.

"Okay, okay. I guess we'll stand in here in complete silence until the ferry comes back. That'll only take an hour or so," Nicks said.

"Silver bullets really work on werewolves, huh?" Jonas asked after several minutes of silence. He was listening to Mac and Charlie talking on the radio. Nothing untoward was going on, so far.

"Yeah, head or heart shots only though. Otherwise you just piss it off," Nick said. He'd begun to wonder if the older man had fallen asleep standing up until he'd heard his deep voice.

"That's why they wanted Andrew's prototypes, so they can figure out how to devise a defence against them," Jonas stated.

"I guess so. Personally I'm hoping they can't figure it out but who knows." Nick could just make out the ferry on its return trip. Not much longer now. He was really looking forward to sleeping in his own bed, even if only for a few hours, as tended to happen. "Oh, by the way, I think Andrew slipped Bob some of the rounds, just in case."

"I know. Bob told me all ready. Hopefully we won't need to use them," Jonas stated. The ferry was within a few feet of the pier. Nick was going to have to get behind the wheel.

"Hopefully not. Thank you, Mr. Black. Your held was very much appreciated. Take care of Bob," Nick said with a grin. Then he headed toward the RV. Home was looking awfully damned good.

"Take care," Jonas stated. Nodding at the former SEAL, Jonas turned and headed back toward the SUV. They had a long day left ahead of them.


	34. Chapter 34

_Yay! A quick update! I found inspiration while lying in bed this morning. I couldn't wait to put in down. I hope you like what my sleepy brain came up with._

_Thanks very much for reading and reviewing. I love to hear from you!!_

_Susanne_

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

Sam and Dean were settled into the same room as last time. They didn't mind sharing a bed, especially after spending too much time apart. It was still much more spacious than the ship's birth they'd spent the last eternity in.

Sinking down on the bed, Sam watched as Dean took a seat in the ornate, too stuffed chair by the window. Dean looked tired. Sam supposed he did too but it wasn't quite the same kind of tired. Sam was tired all the way to his soul, whereas Dean was tired from worrying too much. About him. Maybe it was very similar. Heaving a sigh, Sam slid his hands behind his head and scanned the canopy that covered the bed about six feet up. This would be an adolescent girl's dream room. Well, minus the stodgy antiques all over the place.

"I wonder what's for dinner," Dean stated from the window. He really just wanted to take a shower and crawl into bed. It had been so long since he'd slept in a decent bed. Absently he wondered how Bobby was making. Last he'd seen of the older hunter, Rachel was trying to fuss over him. Bobby had looked decidedly unimpressed.

"I'm not really hungry," Sam admitted. He suddenly felt too dirty to be lying on the fancy bedspread. Wearily, he climbed off and started sorting through his duffle bag. Hopefully he had something in it that was still clean.

"How are you doing?" Derek asked as he stepped into the room. He'd paused to knock first but had trouble juggling the mass in his arms. Carefully he set the bundle on the bed Sam had just vacated. "I thought you might need these."

Stepping over to the pile, Sam was ecstatic to find brand new clothes. They were even the right size. "Thank you," he breathed.

"Actually, Nick had them left over from the last time you were here. He didn't get a chance to give them to you though," Derek stated. He too felt like he was ready to pass out on his face. Too many things needed to be done, though, including situating all their new guests.

"Where is Nick?" Dean asked as he walked over to the pile to examine the contents. Luckily Nick had picked them out and not Derek or Rachel. They were actually something the brothers would be willing to wear and not just out of desperation.

"He's bringing Andrew's RV over on the ferry. They just left the pier so they should be here in about half an hour. Security is waiting for him," Derek said.

"Where's Bobby?" Sam asked as he headed toward the door. He wasn't waiting for his brother to get in the shower first. Dean took forever.

"He's in the next room on your left. I think he was ready to strangle Rachel by the time I got her out of there," Derek stated grinning. He'd enjoyed the older hunter's discomfort. He was glad to see that Rachel could get under other people's skin was well.

"Yeah, Bobby doesn't like the whole TLC very much. I'm going to go take a shower. See you in the morning," Sam said as he headed out. He wasn't trying to be rude. He just really wanted to hit the sack after getting clean.

"Are you sure Nick will be okay coming across by himself?" Dean asked. His brother was safe and reasonably whole. He just needed to know that Nick was going to be as well.

"He's done it many a time. Don't worry, Dean. Nick will be fine. His room is across the hall. You'll probably hear him before too long. I think everyone is going to go to bed. If you're hungry there are several sandwiches made up in the fridge. Help your selves," Derek said. Nodding his head, he turned and left the room.

Leaving the room as well, Dean headed over to Bobby's room and knocked on the door. He heard a low rumble that he assumed was Bobby swearing before the door was yanked open. From the scowl on the old hunter's face, Dean knew he was expecting Rachel. Upon seeing the eldest Winchester, Bobby's face smoothed out and a grin took the scowl's place.

"How you doing, Dean?" Bobby asked as he stepped back out of the doorway. Turning, Bobby moved to the nearest of two overstuffed chairs and settled down into it. The older man was moving slower than Dean could ever remember seeing before. It had been a hard trip on everyone.

"Tired. How about you? I hear Rachel has been lavishing you with attention," Dean stated as he stepped to the other chair and sank into its cushions.

"Yeah. I swear that woman's trying to get in bed with me," Bobby growled, a slight blush colouring his cheeks under his beard.

"Don't worry. She's like that with all of us," Dean stated. "She's a mother. She doesn't know when to stop."

"Yeah, well, I'm locking my door tonight, just in case. Where's Sam?" Bobby asked.

"He's in the shower. Once we're both clean I think we're going to bed. How about you?"

"I'm going to make a few calls first. Then I'm going to bed. How's Sam doing?"

"You mean with the whole 'werewolf' thing? Not sure right now. I think he's too tired to think. I know I am. Well, we'll see you in the morning old man," Dean said, a wide grin on his face as he pried his tired body out of the chair and headed for the door.

"Idjit," Bobby swore under his breath. Scowling at the younger man as he closed the door behind him, Bobby pulled out his cell phone and opened his contacts. There were a few that might be able to help Sam but he wasn't holding his breath. Until running into the Frankfurt werewolves, he'd been convinced there was only one kind. He doubted very much that any of his fellow American hunters knew any different.

OOOOO

"He has werewolf blood in him?" Rachel said, incredulous. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She'd knowing immediately that something wasn't quite right with young Sam but a werewolf? That hadn't even been in the scope of possibilities.

"I'm afraid so," Derek stated. He'd gathered Andrew, Rachel and Alex in the library before allowing any of them to go to bed. They needed to come up with a plan of action for dealing with the new taint in Sam's blood. He would have liked Jacob to be in the discussion too but the Frankfurt Precept was still unconscious from the sedative Andrew had had to give him on board the plane. He was currently sleeping soundly in the bedroom across from Bobby's. "Andrew has come up with a cure. It's worked on Dean who was also exposed but Sam had been exposed for much longer before the treatment could be started."

"What tests did you run?" Alex asked, turning toward the young man trying to burrow his way into the chair. Clearly he wasn't used to dealing with people. He was so uncomfortable Rachel recognized an underdeveloped social acuity but wasn't quite sure of its origin.

"Well, there were several. All my results are on the RV. When will Nick get here?" Andrew said, anxiously looking at Derek. The Precept wasn't sure if he was worried about his vehicle or hoping he would rescue him from the women's scrutiny.

"In less than half an hour," Derek stated.

"Okay, good. Do you have a lab here?" Andrew asked. He'd turned his full attention to Derek. At least he was someone he kind of knew. The women distressed him, kept him off center. It wasn't an emotion he particularly enjoyed.

"Yes," Derek said. He'd been debating with himself about whether to show the man their hidden lab facilities. The alternative, of Sam being a werewolf, was unacceptable so he'd decided to give the kid full access. Jacob trusted him so he should too. Rachel and Alex fell in behind as Derek led Andrew toward the security wall that covered the real work area of the Legacy.

OOOOO

The evening was particularly dark. There were clouds that kept obscuring the waning moon. Standing at the back of the ferry, Nick watched as the lights of San Francisco slowly disappeared as well. There was a cool breeze blowing across the water. It wasn't strong enough to move his hair but it still seemed to worm its' way into his clothing. Wrapping his arms across his chest, Nick tried to conserve what heat he had left.

As much as he hated to admit it, Nick still wasn't 100%. He had aches and pains that woke up at any given time and his stamina had yet to return. He hadn't been out for a run in weeks and he felt it. At the moment he wasn't sure he'd make half of his usual run around Angel Island. The fact that he was feeling so cold didn't make him feel any better.

Behind him, Nick heard a string of curses. Turning to find the source, the ex-Navy SEAL saw a bank of fog rolling in from the island. It was thicker than anything he could ever remember seeing. It seemed to be almost unnatural the way it almost looked to be chasing the ferry as it speared through the calm waters.

Before Nick had a chance to react, the cloud of fog rolled in around him. Suddenly, the world was completely white. He felt as if he were wrapped in a blanket of cotton. He couldn't hear anything. He couldn't see anything. Reaching out with his hands, he tried to find the RV. It should have been six feet behind him. It wasn't there.

"There you are." The voice was low and menacing as it floated out of the fog. A chill spiked through Nick's system. He'd heard that voice before. Instantly on guard, he tried to locate the speaker. All he found was a wall of white. Then he was being grabbed from behind, pulled off his feet. Ice cold hands had hold of his shoulders. Pain overwhelmed his system as fangs ripped into his throat. Nick didn't even get a chance to cry out as darkness descended.

OOOOO

As quickly as it came, the fog was gone. Shaking his head in wonder, the captain glanced around his bridge. All systems were still running smoothly. Thank goodness. That was the last thing they needed during a night trip across the sound.

"Go check on our passenger, okay Darryl?" he asked of his first mate. The others were all out on deck. He could have radioed one of them but things were well in hand and Darryl liked to walk the deck a few times during the trip. Just to make sure everything was as it should be.

Nodding his head, Darryl slipped out of the bridge and clamoured down the metal steps to the level below. The RV was exactly where Nick had parked it. That was good. Walking over to it, Darryl was a little surprised to not find the Legacy member standing on deck. Quietly, he paced around the RV, just in case Nick was on the other side. Nothing.

Well, it was chilly out. Perhaps Nick had gone inside the RV. Why stand out on deck when there was a warm, dry place to spend the crossing? Stepping up to the side door of the RV, Darryl rapped on it loudly. Each breath he took created a little white cloud in front of his face. Silently, Darryl waited. Then he banged on the door a second time and a third time. Finally, realizing Nick wasn't asleep inside, the first mate pulled the door open and climbed inside. It took a few minutes to search the every nook and cranny but soon he was convinced that Nick wasn't inside.

Once he'd climbed back out, Darryl pulled the radio off his belt and thumbed the mike. "I'm sorry, sir. I can't seem to find Mr. Boyle," he said.

OOOOO

"What?!" Derek demanded. He was on the phone with security. The ferry had docked five minutes ago. He couldn't believe what the head of gate security was telling him.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked, immediately on edge. Something had happened. Something bad.

"Nick's not on board the ferry," Derek said. "What do you mean he's not on the ferry? He was on it when you left the pier. How could he not be on it now?"

Whatever the security chief told him didn't seem to assuage the Precept's concern. He slammed the phone down into its cradle. "Set the security system. I'm going down there to sort this out."

"Wouldn't it make more sense for security to come up here?" Rachel asked. She hated the thought of Derek going out there, especially if something had all ready happened to Nick.

"I need to look at the ferry. Something here isn't right." Not waiting for further discussion, Derek grabbed his heavy jacket and slammed out the front door.

OOOOO

Within minutes, Derek was standing at the front of the RV staring out at the water beyond. The ferry was docked along the pier. The ferry captain and his crew were unloading the RV but there was still no sign of Nick. It was almost as if he'd disappeared into thin air. With everything the Legacy usually dealt with that was always a possibility but it was one that Derek didn't want to have to consider. They'd just made it home. Surely Nick could stay out of trouble that long?

Heaving a sigh from the tips of his toes, Derek turned and headed to the back of the ferry. He didn't know where Nick was. There had been no waves to knock him overboard, no sounds of distress. Besides, Nick was a strong swimmer. Even if he did somehow get knocked overboard he could still swim to the island. As a precaution, he'd sent three of the crew on a life boat out on the water to retrace the ferry's route. Maybe Nick had been knocked unconscious before going in. That didn't make sense.

Pacing over the deck of the ferry, his eyes cast down as he continued to run through the various scenarios, Derek noticed a dark splotch on the deck. It would have been to the rear of the RV, out of the crew's line of sight. Cautiously, he knelt down beside it and touched it with his finger. Bringing the dark liquid closer to his eyes, Derek knew what it was instantly from the coppery smell. It was blood. A DNA test would have to be run but he knew all ready that it was Nick's blood.

"What happened to you?" Derek said as he stood up and looked around the ferry. It was as if Nick had disappeared off the face of the earth.

Pulling his cell phone out, Derek hit speed dial. "Alex. Check the GPS on Nick's phone. Where does it say he is?"

There was a pause as Alex entered the information in one of the computers. What she found made her blood run cold. "According to this, he's at the bottom of the sound."

THE END

_Of course this isn't really the end. I'm sorry. I didn't really deal with everything but I need Sam to still be werewolfish for the next part of the story. I hope you don't mind. I'll get working on the sequel very soon. I'm not sure what I'm going to call it yet. I'll think on it and maybe put the name as a message in a new chapter. I'll have to see how long it takes me to come up with it._

_I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I have! It's been a lot of fun to write even when I was having writer's block. It was interesting to come up with possibilities. _

_Thank you again very, very much for your support. The fact that I knew you were waiting for me to update kept me going when I was tempted to just walk away. That would be what happened to 99% of the stories I've written that haven't been downloaded anywhere. They got hard and I moved on. Thank you for keeping me going!_

_Susanne_

_The new story is going to be called "Devil's Lair". Not real original but that's what it is. I could upload this story without coming up with a title. I hate it when other writers do that to me. I hope you keep a watch for it!!!  
_


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